Poisson goodness-of-fit tests for radiation-induced chromosome aberrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merkle, W.

1981-01-01

Asymptotic and exact Poisson goodness-to-fit tests have been reviewed with regard to their applicability in analysing distributional properties of data on chromosome aberrations. It has been demonstrated that for typical cytogenetic samples, i.e. when the average number of aberrations per cell is smaller than one, results of asymptotic tests, especially of the most commonly used u-test, differ greatly from results of corresponding exact tests. While the u-statistic can serve as a qualitative index to indicate a tendency towards under- or over-dispersion, exact tests should be used if the assumption of a Poisson distribution is crucial, e.g. in investigating induction mechanisms. If the main interest is to detect a difference between the mean and the variance of a sample it is furthermore important to realize that a much larger sample size is required to detect underdispersion than it is to detect overdispersion. (author)

Flexible competing risks regression modeling and goodness-of-fit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheike, Thomas; Zhang, Mei-Jie

2008-01-01

In this paper we consider different approaches for estimation and assessment of covariate effects for the cumulative incidence curve in the competing risks model. The classic approach is to model all cause-specific hazards and then estimate the cumulative incidence curve based on these cause...... models that is easy to fit and contains the Fine-Gray model as a special case. One advantage of this approach is that our regression modeling allows for non-proportional hazards. This leads to a new simple goodness-of-fit procedure for the proportional subdistribution hazards assumption that is very easy...... of the flexible regression models to analyze competing risks data when non-proportionality is present in the data....

A goodness of fit statistic for the geometric distribution

OpenAIRE

Ferreira, J.A.

2003-01-01

textabstractWe propose a goodness of fit statistic for the geometric distribution and compare it in terms of power, via simulation, with the chi-square statistic. The statistic is based on the Lau-Rao theorem and can be seen as a discrete analogue of the total time on test statistic. The results suggest that the test based on the new statistic is generally superior to the chi-square test.

GOODNESS-OF-FIT TEST FOR THE ACCELERATED FAILURE TIME MODEL BASED ON MARTINGALE RESIDUALS

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Novák, Petr

2013-01-01

Roč. 49, č. 1 (2013), s. 40-59 ISSN 0023-5954 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 1M06047 Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) SVV 261315/2011 Keywords : accelerated failure time model * survival analysis * goodness-of-fit Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research Impact factor: 0.563, year: 2013 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2013/SI/novak-goodness-of-fit test for the aft model based on martingale residuals.pdf

Perceived fitness protects against stress-based mental health impairments among police officers who report good sleep.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerber, Markus; Kellmann, Micheal; Elliot, Catherine; Hartmann, Tim; Brand, Serge; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Pühse, Uwe

2014-01-01

This study examined a cognitive stress-moderation model that posits that the harmful effects of chronic stress are decreased in police officers who perceive high levels of physical fitness. It also determined whether the stress-buffering effect of perceived fitness is influenced by officers' self-reported sleep. A total of 460 police officers (n=116 females, n=344 males, mean age: M=40.7; SD=9.7) rated their physical fitness and completed a battery of self-report stress, mental health, and sleep questionnaires. Three-way analyses of covariance were performed to examine whether officers' self-reported mental health status depends on the interaction between stress, perceived fitness and sleep. Highly stressed officers perceived lower mental health and fitness and were overrepresented in the group of poor sleepers. Officers with high fitness self-reports revealed increased mental health and reported good sleep. In contrast, poor sleepers scored lower on the mental health index. High stress was more closely related to low mental health among poor sleepers. Most importantly, perceived fitness revealed a stress-buffering effect, but only among officers who reported good sleep. High perceived fitness and good sleep operate as stress resilience resources among police officers. The findings suggest that multimodal programs including stress management, sleep hygiene and fitness training are essential components of workplace health promotion in the police force.

Permutation tests for goodness-of-fit testing of mathematical models to experimental data.

Science.gov (United States)

Fişek, M Hamit; Barlas, Zeynep

2013-03-01

This paper presents statistical procedures for improving the goodness-of-fit testing of theoretical models to data obtained from laboratory experiments. We use an experimental study in the expectation states research tradition which has been carried out in the "standardized experimental situation" associated with the program to illustrate the application of our procedures. We briefly review the expectation states research program and the fundamentals of resampling statistics as we develop our procedures in the resampling context. The first procedure we develop is a modification of the chi-square test which has been the primary statistical tool for assessing goodness of fit in the EST research program, but has problems associated with its use. We discuss these problems and suggest a procedure to overcome them. The second procedure we present, the "Average Absolute Deviation" test, is a new test and is proposed as an alternative to the chi square test, as being simpler and more informative. The third and fourth procedures are permutation versions of Jonckheere's test for ordered alternatives, and Kendall's tau(b), a rank order correlation coefficient. The fifth procedure is a new rank order goodness-of-fit test, which we call the "Deviation from Ideal Ranking" index, which we believe may be more useful than other rank order tests for assessing goodness-of-fit of models to experimental data. The application of these procedures to the sample data is illustrated in detail. We then present another laboratory study from an experimental paradigm different from the expectation states paradigm - the "network exchange" paradigm, and describe how our procedures may be applied to this data set. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pharmacy career deciding: making choice a "good fit".

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, Sarah Caroline; Shann, Phillip; Hassell, Karen

2009-01-01

The purpose of this article is to explore factors influencing career deciding amongst pharmacy students and graduates in the U.K. Group interviews were used to devise a topic guide for five subsequent focus groups with pharmacy students and graduates. Focus groups were tape-recorded, recordings transcribed, and transcripts analysed. Key themes and interlinking factors relating to pharmacy career deciding were identified in the transcripts, following a constructivist approach. Participants' described making a "good fit" between themselves, their experiences, social networks etc. and pharmacy. Central to a coherent career deciding narrative were: having a job on graduation; and the instrumental advantage of studying a vocational course. Focusing on career deciding of UK pharmacy students and graduates may limit the study's generalisability to other countries. However, our findings are relevant to those interested in understanding students' motivations for healthcare careers, since our results suggest that making a "good fit" describes a general process of matching between a healthcare career and personal experience. As we have found that pharmacy career deciding was not, usually, a planned activity, career advisors and those involved in higher education recruitment should take into account the roles played by personal preferences and values in choosing a degree course. A qualitative study like this can illustrate how career deciding occurs and provide insight into the process from a student's perspective. This can help inform guidance processes, selection to healthcare professions courses within the higher education sector, and stimulate debate amongst those involved with recruitment of healthcare workers about desirable motivators for healthcare careers.

Beyond the goodness of fit: A preference-based account of Europeanization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mastenbroek, E.; Keulen, M. van; Haverland, M; Holzhacker, R

2006-01-01

This paper is concerned with formulating and testing a preference-based explanation of EU implementation. The hypothesis is that, rather than the ‘goodness of fit’ with existing policies, the fit with national preferences predicts the ease of implementation of new EU legislation. This hypothesis is

Is physiological performance a good predictor for fitness? Insights from an invasive plant species.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco A Molina-Montenegro

Full Text Available Is physiological performance a suitable proxy of fitness in plants? Although, several studies have been conducted to measure some fitness-related traits and physiological performance, direct assessments are seldom found in the literature. Here, we assessed the physiology-fitness relationship using second-generation individuals of the invasive plant species Taraxacum officinale from 17 localities distributed in five continents. Specifically, we tested if i the maximum quantum yield is a good predictor for seed-output ii whether this physiology-fitness relationship can be modified by environmental heterogeneity, and iii if this relationship has an adaptive consequence for T. officinale individuals from different localities. Overall, we found a significant positive relationship between the maximum quantum yield and fitness for all localities evaluated, but this relationship decreased in T. officinale individuals from localities with greater environmental heterogeneity. Finally, we found that those individuals from localities where environmental conditions are highly seasonal performed better under heterogeneous environmental conditions. Contrarily, under homogeneous controlled conditions, those individuals from localities with low environmental seasonality performed much better. In conclusion, our results suggest that the maximum quantum yield seem to be good predictors for plant fitness. We suggest that rapid measurements, such as those obtained from the maximum quantum yield, could provide a straightforward proxy of individual's fitness in changing environments.

Mapping the perceptual structure of rectangles through goodness-of-fit ratings.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Stephen E; Guidi, Stefano

2011-01-01

Three experiments were carried out to investigate the internal structure of a rectangular frame to test Arnheim's (1974 Art and Visual Perception, 1988 The Power of the Center) proposals about its 'structural skeleton'. Observers made subjective ratings of how well a small probe circle fit within a rectangle at different interior positions. In experiment 1, ratings of 77 locations were highest in the center, decreased with distance from the center, greatly elevated along vertical and horizontal symmetry axes, and somewhat elevated along the local symmetry axes. A linear regression model with six symmetry-related factors accounted for 95% of the variance. In experiment 2 we measured perceived fit along local symmetry axes versus global diagonals near the corners to determine which factor was relevant. 2AFC probabilities were elevated only along the local symmetry axes and were higher when the probe was closer to the vertex. In experiment 3 we examined the effect of dividing a rectangular frame into two rectangular 'subframes' using an additional line. The results show that the primary determinant of good fit is the position of the target circle within the local subframes. In general, the results are consistent with Arnheim's proposals about the internal structure of a rectangular frame, but an alternative interpretation is offered in terms of the Gestalt concept of figural goodness.

Exploiting the information content of hydrological ''outliers'' for goodness-of-fit testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Laio

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Validation of probabilistic models based on goodness-of-fit tests is an essential step for the frequency analysis of extreme events. The outcome of standard testing techniques, however, is mainly determined by the behavior of the hypothetical model, F_X(x, in the central part of the distribution, while the behavior in the tails of the distribution, which is indeed very relevant in hydrological applications, is relatively unimportant for the results of the tests. The maximum-value test, originally proposed as a technique for outlier detection, is a suitable, but seldom applied, technique that addresses this problem. The test is specifically targeted to verify if the maximum (or minimum values in the sample are consistent with the hypothesis that the distribution F_X(x is the real parent distribution. The application of this test is hindered by the fact that the critical values for the test should be numerically obtained when the parameters of F_X(x are estimated on the same sample used for verification, which is the standard situation in hydrological applications. We propose here a simple, analytically explicit, technique to suitably account for this effect, based on the application of censored L-moments estimators of the parameters. We demonstrate, with an application that uses artificially generated samples, the superiority of this modified maximum-value test with respect to the standard version of the test. We also show that the test has comparable or larger power with respect to other goodness-of-fit tests (e.g., chi-squared test, Anderson-Darling test, Fung and Paul test, in particular when dealing with small samples (sample size lower than 20–25 and when the parent distribution is similar to the distribution being tested.

A note on Poisson goodness-of-fit tests for ionizing radiation induced chromosomal aberration samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Higueras, Manuel; González, J E; Di Giorgio, Marina; Barquinero, J F

2018-05-18

To present Poisson exact goodness-of-fit tests as alternatives and complements to the asymptotic u-test, which is the most widely used in cytogenetic biodosimetry, to decide whether a sample of chromosomal aberrations in blood cells comes from an homogeneous or inhomogeneous exposure. Three Poisson exact goodness-of-fit test from the literature are introduced and implemented in the R environment. A Shiny R Studio application, named GOF Poisson, has been updated for the purpose of giving support to this work. The three exact tests and the u-test are applied in chromosomal aberration data from clinical and accidental radiation exposure patients. It is observed how the u-test is not an appropriate approximation in small samples with small yield of chromosomal aberrations. Tools are provided to compute the three exact tests, which is not as trivial as the implementation of the u-test. Poisson exact goodness-of-fit tests should be considered jointly to the u-test for detecting inhomogeneous exposures in the cytogenetic biodosimetry practice.

Goodness-of-fit tests with dependent observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chicheportiche, Rémy; Bouchaud, Jean-Philippe

2011-01-01

We revisit the Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Cramér–von Mises goodness-of-fit (GoF) tests and propose a generalization to identically distributed, but dependent univariate random variables. We show that the dependence leads to a reduction of the 'effective' number of independent observations. The generalized GoF tests are not distribution-free but rather depend on all the lagged bivariate copulas. These objects, that we call 'self-copulas', encode all the non-linear temporal dependences. We introduce a specific, log-normal model for these self-copulas, for which a number of analytical results are derived. An application to financial time series is provided. As is well known, the dependence is to be long-ranged in this case, a finding that we confirm using self-copulas. As a consequence, the acceptance rates for GoF tests are substantially higher than if the returns were iid random variables

Residuals and the Residual-Based Statistic for Testing Goodness of Fit of Structural Equation Models

Science.gov (United States)

Foldnes, Njal; Foss, Tron; Olsson, Ulf Henning

2012-01-01

The residuals obtained from fitting a structural equation model are crucial ingredients in obtaining chi-square goodness-of-fit statistics for the model. The authors present a didactic discussion of the residuals, obtaining a geometrical interpretation by recognizing the residuals as the result of oblique projections. This sheds light on the…

Statistical alignment: computational properties, homology testing and goodness-of-fit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hein, J; Wiuf, Carsten; Møller, Martin

2000-01-01

The model of insertions and deletions in biological sequences, first formulated by Thorne, Kishino, and Felsenstein in 1991 (the TKF91 model), provides a basis for performing alignment within a statistical framework. Here we investigate this model.Firstly, we show how to accelerate the statistical...... alignment algorithms several orders of magnitude. The main innovations are to confine likelihood calculations to a band close to the similarity based alignment, to get good initial guesses of the evolutionary parameters and to apply an efficient numerical optimisation algorithm for finding the maximum...... analysis.Secondly, we propose a new homology test based on this model, where homology means that an ancestor to a sequence pair can be found finitely far back in time. This test has statistical advantages relative to the traditional shuffle test for proteins.Finally, we describe a goodness-of-fit test...

A Monte Carlo-adjusted goodness-of-fit test for parametric models describing spatial point patterns

KAUST Repository

Dao, Ngocanh

2014-04-03

Assessing the goodness-of-fit (GOF) for intricate parametric spatial point process models is important for many application fields. When the probability density of the statistic of the GOF test is intractable, a commonly used procedure is the Monte Carlo GOF test. Additionally, if the data comprise a single dataset, a popular version of the test plugs a parameter estimate in the hypothesized parametric model to generate data for theMonte Carlo GOF test. In this case, the test is invalid because the resulting empirical level does not reach the nominal level. In this article, we propose a method consisting of nested Monte Carlo simulations which has the following advantages: the bias of the resulting empirical level of the test is eliminated, hence the empirical levels can always reach the nominal level, and information about inhomogeneity of the data can be provided.We theoretically justify our testing procedure using Taylor expansions and demonstrate that it is correctly sized through various simulation studies. In our first data application, we discover, in agreement with Illian et al., that Phlebocarya filifolia plants near Perth, Australia, can follow a homogeneous Poisson clustered process that provides insight into the propagation mechanism of these plants. In our second data application, we find, in contrast to Diggle, that a pairwise interaction model provides a good fit to the micro-anatomy data of amacrine cells designed for analyzing the developmental growth of immature retina cells in rabbits. This article has supplementary material online. © 2013 American Statistical Association, Institute of Mathematical Statistics, and Interface Foundation of North America.

Different goodness of fit tests for Rayleigh distribution in ranked set sampling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amer Al-Omari

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, different goodness of fit tests for the Rayleigh distribution are considered based on simple random sampling (SRS and ranked set sampling (RSS techniques. The performance of the suggested estimators is evaluated in terms of the power of the tests by using Monte Carlo simulation. It is found that the suggested RSS tests perform better than their counterparts  in SRS.

A Monte Carlo-adjusted goodness-of-fit test for parametric models describing spatial point patterns

KAUST Repository

Dao, Ngocanh; Genton, Marc G.

2014-01-01

Assessing the goodness-of-fit (GOF) for intricate parametric spatial point process models is important for many application fields. When the probability density of the statistic of the GOF test is intractable, a commonly used procedure is the Monte

Measures of effect size for chi-squared and likelihood-ratio goodness-of-fit tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Janis E; Berry, Kenneth J; Mielke, Paul W

2006-10-01

A fundamental shift in editorial policy for psychological journals was initiated when the fourth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (1994) placed emphasis on reporting measures of effect size. This paper presents measures of effect size for the chi-squared and the likelihood-ratio goodness-of-fit statistic tests.

Modified Distribution-Free Goodness-of-Fit Test Statistic.

Science.gov (United States)

Chun, So Yeon; Browne, Michael W; Shapiro, Alexander

2018-03-01

Covariance structure analysis and its structural equation modeling extensions have become one of the most widely used methodologies in social sciences such as psychology, education, and economics. An important issue in such analysis is to assess the goodness of fit of a model under analysis. One of the most popular test statistics used in covariance structure analysis is the asymptotically distribution-free (ADF) test statistic introduced by Browne (Br J Math Stat Psychol 37:62-83, 1984). The ADF statistic can be used to test models without any specific distribution assumption (e.g., multivariate normal distribution) of the observed data. Despite its advantage, it has been shown in various empirical studies that unless sample sizes are extremely large, this ADF statistic could perform very poorly in practice. In this paper, we provide a theoretical explanation for this phenomenon and further propose a modified test statistic that improves the performance in samples of realistic size. The proposed statistic deals with the possible ill-conditioning of the involved large-scale covariance matrices.

On the optimal number of classes in the Pearson goodness-of-fit tests

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Morales, D.; Pardo, L.; Vajda, Igor

2005-01-01

Roč. 41, č. 6 (2005), s. 677-698 ISSN 0023-5954 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA1075403 Grant - others:BFM(ES) 2003-00892; GV(ES) 04B-670 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : pearson-type goodness -of- fit test s * asymptotic local test power * asymptotic equivalence of test s * optimal number of classes Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research Impact factor: 0.343, year: 2005

Goodness-of-Fit Tests For Elliptical and Independent Copulas through Projection Pursuit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacques Touboul

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Two goodness-of-fit tests for copulas are being investigated. The first one deals with the case of elliptical copulas and the second one deals with independent copulas. These tests result from the expansion of the projection pursuit methodology that we will introduce in the present article. This method enables us to determine on which axis system these copulas lie as well as the exact value of these very copulas in the basis formed by the axes previously determined irrespective of their value in their canonical basis. Simulations are also presented as well as an application to real datasets.

ARA and ARI imperfect repair models: Estimation, goodness-of-fit and reliability prediction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toledo, Maria Luíza Guerra de; Freitas, Marta A.; Colosimo, Enrico A.; Gilardoni, Gustavo L.

2015-01-01

An appropriate maintenance policy is essential to reduce expenses and risks related to equipment failures. A fundamental aspect to be considered when specifying such policies is to be able to predict the reliability of the systems under study, based on a well fitted model. In this paper, the classes of models Arithmetic Reduction of Age and Arithmetic Reduction of Intensity are explored. Likelihood functions for such models are derived, and a graphical method is proposed for model selection. A real data set involving failures in trucks used by a Brazilian mining is analyzed considering models with different memories. Parameters, namely, shape and scale for Power Law Process, and the efficiency of repair were estimated for the best fitted model. Estimation of model parameters allowed us to derive reliability estimators to predict the behavior of the failure process. These results are a valuable information for the mining company and can be used to support decision making regarding preventive maintenance policy. - Highlights: • Likelihood functions for imperfect repair models are derived. • A goodness-of-fit technique is proposed as a tool for model selection. • Failures in trucks owned by a Brazilian mining are modeled. • Estimation allowed deriving reliability predictors to forecast the future failure process of the trucks

Removing Visual Bias in Filament Identification: A New Goodness-of-fit Measure

Science.gov (United States)

Green, C.-E.; Cunningham, M. R.; Dawson, J. R.; Jones, P. A.; Novak, G.; Fissel, L. M.

2017-05-01

Different combinations of input parameters to filament identification algorithms, such as disperse and filfinder, produce numerous different output skeletons. The skeletons are a one-pixel-wide representation of the filamentary structure in the original input image. However, these output skeletons may not necessarily be a good representation of that structure. Furthermore, a given skeleton may not be as good of a representation as another. Previously, there has been no mathematical “goodness-of-fit” measure to compare output skeletons to the input image. Thus far this has been assessed visually, introducing visual bias. We propose the application of the mean structural similarity index (MSSIM) as a mathematical goodness-of-fit measure. We describe the use of the MSSIM to find the output skeletons that are the most mathematically similar to the original input image (the optimum, or “best,” skeletons) for a given algorithm, and independently of the algorithm. This measure makes possible systematic parameter studies, aimed at finding the subset of input parameter values returning optimum skeletons. It can also be applied to the output of non-skeleton-based filament identification algorithms, such as the Hessian matrix method. The MSSIM removes the need to visually examine thousands of output skeletons, and eliminates the visual bias, subjectivity, and limited reproducibility inherent in that process, representing a major improvement upon existing techniques. Importantly, it also allows further automation in the post-processing of output skeletons, which is crucial in this era of “big data.”

Goodness of Fit of Skills Assessment Approaches: Insights from Patterns of Real vs. Synthetic Data Sets

Science.gov (United States)

Beheshti, Behzad; Desmarais, Michel C.

2015-01-01

This study investigates the issue of the goodness of fit of different skills assessment models using both synthetic and real data. Synthetic data is generated from the different skills assessment models. The results show wide differences of performances between the skills assessment models over synthetic data sets. The set of relative performances…

Public goods dilemma in asexual ant societies

OpenAIRE

Dobata, Shigeto; Tsuji, Kazuki

2013-01-01

This study reports experimental evidence for the “public goods dilemma” between cooperators and cheaters in an asexual ant society, in which cheating is always more rewarding for individuals but cooperation at the cost of individual fitness leads to better performance of groups. Although this dilemma provides the basic principle of social evolution, its experimental demonstration with underlying genetics and fitness evaluation for both cooperators and cheaters still lacks in societies other t...

A goodness-of-fit test for occupancy models with correlated within-season revisits

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Wilson; Irvine, Kathryn M.; Rodhouse, Thomas J.

2016-01-01

Occupancy modeling is important for exploring species distribution patterns and for conservation monitoring. Within this framework, explicit attention is given to species detection probabilities estimated from replicate surveys to sample units. A central assumption is that replicate surveys are independent Bernoulli trials, but this assumption becomes untenable when ecologists serially deploy remote cameras and acoustic recording devices over days and weeks to survey rare and elusive animals. Proposed solutions involve modifying the detection-level component of the model (e.g., first-order Markov covariate). Evaluating whether a model sufficiently accounts for correlation is imperative, but clear guidance for practitioners is lacking. Currently, an omnibus goodnessof- fit test using a chi-square discrepancy measure on unique detection histories is available for occupancy models (MacKenzie and Bailey, Journal of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Statistics, 9, 2004, 300; hereafter, MacKenzie– Bailey test). We propose a join count summary measure adapted from spatial statistics to directly assess correlation after fitting a model. We motivate our work with a dataset of multinight bat call recordings from a pilot study for the North American Bat Monitoring Program. We found in simulations that our join count test was more reliable than the MacKenzie–Bailey test for detecting inadequacy of a model that assumed independence, particularly when serial correlation was low to moderate. A model that included a Markov-structured detection-level covariate produced unbiased occupancy estimates except in the presence of strong serial correlation and a revisit design consisting only of temporal replicates. When applied to two common bat species, our approach illustrates that sophisticated models do not guarantee adequate fit to real data, underscoring the importance of model assessment. Our join count test provides a widely applicable goodness-of-fit test and

Excellent Survival and Good Outcomes at 15 Years Using the Press-Fit Condylar Sigma Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, William M; Arthur, Calum H C; Wood, Alexander M; Clayton, Robert A E; Brenkel, Ivan J; Walmsley, Philip

2018-03-27

We report 15-year survival, clinical, and radiographic follow-up data for the Press-Fit Condylar Sigma total knee arthroplasty. Between October 1998 and October 1999, 235 consecutive TKAs were performed in 203 patients. Patients were reviewed at a specialist nurse-led clinic before surgery and at 5, 8-10, and 15 years postoperatively. Clinical outcomes, including Knee Society Score, were recorded prospectively at each clinic visit, and radiographs were obtained. Of our initial cohort, 99 patients (118 knees) were alive at 15 years, and 31 patients (34 knees) were lost to follow-up. Thirteen knees (5.5%) were revised; 5 (2.1%) for infection, 7 (3%) for instability, and 1 (0.4%) for aseptic loosening. Cumulative survival with the end point of revision for any reason was 92.3% at 15 years and with revision for aseptic failure as the end point was 94.4%. The mean Knee Society Score knee score was 77.4 (33-99) at 15 years, compared with 31.7 (2-62) preoperatively. Of 71 surviving knees for which X-rays were available, 12 (16.9%) had radiolucent lines and 1 (1.4%) demonstrated clear radiographic evidence of loosening. The Press-Fit Condylar Sigma total knee arthroplasty represents a durable, effective option for patients undergoing knee arthroplasty, with excellent survival and good clinical and radiographic outcomes at 15 years. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feeling right is feeling good: psychological well-being and emotional fit with culture in autonomy- versus relatedness-promoting situations

OpenAIRE

De Leersnyder, Jozefien; Kim, Heejung; Mesquita, Batja

2015-01-01

The current research tested the idea that it is the cultural fit of emotions, rather than certain emotions per se, that predicts psychological well-being – i.e., feeling good about oneself, having no symptoms of depression. We reasoned that emotional fit in the domains of life that afford the realization of central cultural mandates would be particularly important to psychological well-being. We tested this hypothesis with samples from three cultural contexts that are known to differ with res...

Figure-of-merit (FOM), an improved criterion over the normalized chi-squared test for assessing goodness-of-fit of gamma-ray spectral peaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garo Balian, H.; Eddy, N.W.

1977-01-01

A careful experimenter knows that in order to choose the best curve fits of peaks from a gamma ray spectrum for such purposes as energy or intensity calibration, half-life determination, etc., the application of the normalized chi-squared test, [chisub(N)] 2 =chi 2 /(n-m), is insufficient. One must normally verify the goodness-of-fit with plots, detailed scans of residuals, etc. Because of different techniques of application, variations in backgrounds, in peak sizes and shapes, etc., quotation of the [chisub(N)] 2 value associated with an individual peak fit conveys very little information unless accompanied by considerable ancillary data. (This is not to say that the traditional chi 2 formula should not be used as the source of the normal equations in the least squares fitting procedure. But after the fitting, it is unreliable as a criterion for comparison with other fits.) The authors present a formula designated figure-of-merit (FOM) which greatly improves on the uncertainty and fluctuations of the [chisub(N)] 2 formula. An FOM value of less than 2.5% indicates a good fit (in the authors' judgement) irrespective of background conditions and variations in peak sizes and shapes. Furthermore, the authors feel the FOM formula is less subject to fluctuations resulting from different techniques of application. (Auth.)

Goodness-of-Fit Tests for Generalized Normal Distribution for Use in Hydrological Frequency Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Samiran

2018-04-01

The use of three-parameter generalized normal (GNO) as a hydrological frequency distribution is well recognized, but its application is limited due to unavailability of popular goodness-of-fit (GOF) test statistics. This study develops popular empirical distribution function (EDF)-based test statistics to investigate the goodness-of-fit of the GNO distribution. The focus is on the case most relevant to the hydrologist, namely, that in which the parameter values are unidentified and estimated from a sample using the method of L-moments. The widely used EDF tests such as Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Cramer von Mises, and Anderson-Darling (AD) are considered in this study. A modified version of AD, namely, the Modified Anderson-Darling (MAD) test, is also considered and its performance is assessed against other EDF tests using a power study that incorporates six specific Wakeby distributions (WA-1, WA-2, WA-3, WA-4, WA-5, and WA-6) as the alternative distributions. The critical values of the proposed test statistics are approximated using Monte Carlo techniques and are summarized in chart and regression equation form to show the dependence of shape parameter and sample size. The performance results obtained from the power study suggest that the AD and a variant of the MAD (MAD-L) are the most powerful tests. Finally, the study performs case studies involving annual maximum flow data of selected gauged sites from Irish and US catchments to show the application of the derived critical values and recommends further assessments to be carried out on flow data sets of rivers with various hydrological regimes.

Goodness-of-Fit versus Significance: A CAPM Selection with Dynamic Betas Applied to the Brazilian Stock Market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Ricardo de Pinho Ronzani

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this work, a Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM with time-varying betas is considered. These betas evolve over time, conditional on financial and non-financial variables. Indeed, the model proposed by Adrian and Franzoni (2009 is adapted to assess the behavior of some selected Brazilian equities. For each equity, several models are fitted, and the best model is chosen based on goodness-of-fit tests and parameters significance. Finally, using the selected dynamic models, VaR (Value-at-Risk measures are calculated. We can conclude that CAPM with time-varying betas provide less conservative VaR measures than those based on CAPM with static betas or historical VaR.

The Association Between Self-Rated Fitness and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Adults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Karina Gregersen; Rosthøj, Susanne; Linneberg, Allan

2018-01-01

To assess criterion validity of a single item question on self-rated physical fitness against objectively measured cardiorespiratory fitness. From the Health2008 study 749 men and women between 30 and 60 years of age rated their fitness as excellent, very good, good, fair or poor. Cardiorespiratory...... fitness was estimated with the watt-max test. Agreement between self-rated and objectively measured physical fitness was assessed by Cohen's weighted kappa coefficient. Correlation was determined by Goodman & Kruskal's gamma correlation coefficient. All analyses were stratified according to gender. Data...... from 323 men and 426 women were analysed. There was a slight agreement between self-rated and objectively measured fitness in men (weighted kappa: 0.18, [95%CI: 0.13;0.23]) and a fair agreement in women (weighted kappa: 0.27, [95%CI: 0.22;0.32]). In both genders, self-rated fitness was positively...

A simulation-based goodness-of-fit test for random effects in generalized linear mixed models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waagepetersen, Rasmus

2006-01-01

The goodness-of-fit of the distribution of random effects in a generalized linear mixed model is assessed using a conditional simulation of the random effects conditional on the observations. Provided that the specified joint model for random effects and observations is correct, the marginal...... distribution of the simulated random effects coincides with the assumed random effects distribution. In practice, the specified model depends on some unknown parameter which is replaced by an estimate. We obtain a correction for this by deriving the asymptotic distribution of the empirical distribution...

A simulation-based goodness-of-fit test for random effects in generalized linear mixed models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waagepetersen, Rasmus Plenge

The goodness-of-fit of the distribution of random effects in a generalized linear mixed model is assessed using a conditional simulation of the random effects conditional on the observations. Provided that the specified joint model for random effects and observations is correct, the marginal...... distribution of the simulated random effects coincides with the assumed random effects distribution. In practice the specified model depends on some unknown parameter which is replaced by an estimate. We obtain a correction for this by deriving the asymptotic distribution of the empirical distribution function...

FREQFIT: Computer program which performs numerical regression and statistical chi-squared goodness of fit analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofland, G.S.; Barton, C.C.

1990-01-01

The computer program FREQFIT is designed to perform regression and statistical chi-squared goodness of fit analysis on one-dimensional or two-dimensional data. The program features an interactive user dialogue, numerous help messages, an option for screen or line printer output, and the flexibility to use practically any commercially available graphics package to create plots of the program's results. FREQFIT is written in Microsoft QuickBASIC, for IBM-PC compatible computers. A listing of the QuickBASIC source code for the FREQFIT program, a user manual, and sample input data, output, and plots are included. 6 refs., 1 fig

Heaps of health, metaphysical fitness: Ayurveda and the ontology of good health in medical anthropology.

Science.gov (United States)

Alter, J S

1999-02-01

Because most scholars take it for granted that medicine is concerned with healing and problems of ill health, the way in which various medical systems define good health has not been adequately studied. Moreover, good health as such is usually regarded as a natural, normative state of being even by most medical anthropologists, who otherwise take a critical, relativist perspective on the subject of illness, pain, and disease. Using the case of Ayurvedic medicine, this article shows that there is a very different way of looking at the question of how health is embodied. This perspective is proactive and concerned with overall fitness rather than reactive and primarily concerned with either illness or disease. The argument presented here therefore seeks to go beyond the limiting--although extremely useful--orientation of remedial health care and suggest a radical challenge to some of the most basic ontological assumptions in the cross-cultural comparative study of medical systems.

Comment on the asymptotics of a distribution-free goodness of fit test statistic.

Science.gov (United States)

Browne, Michael W; Shapiro, Alexander

2015-03-01

In a recent article Jennrich and Satorra (Psychometrika 78: 545-552, 2013) showed that a proof by Browne (British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology 37: 62-83, 1984) of the asymptotic distribution of a goodness of fit test statistic is incomplete because it fails to prove that the orthogonal component function employed is continuous. Jennrich and Satorra (Psychometrika 78: 545-552, 2013) showed how Browne's proof can be completed satisfactorily but this required the development of an extensive and mathematically sophisticated framework for continuous orthogonal component functions. This short note provides a simple proof of the asymptotic distribution of Browne's (British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology 37: 62-83, 1984) test statistic by using an equivalent form of the statistic that does not involve orthogonal component functions and consequently avoids all complicating issues associated with them.

Summary goodness-of-fit statistics for binary generalized linear models with noncanonical link functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Canary, Jana D; Blizzard, Leigh; Barry, Ronald P; Hosmer, David W; Quinn, Stephen J

2016-05-01

Generalized linear models (GLM) with a canonical logit link function are the primary modeling technique used to relate a binary outcome to predictor variables. However, noncanonical links can offer more flexibility, producing convenient analytical quantities (e.g., probit GLMs in toxicology) and desired measures of effect (e.g., relative risk from log GLMs). Many summary goodness-of-fit (GOF) statistics exist for logistic GLM. Their properties make the development of GOF statistics relatively straightforward, but it can be more difficult under noncanonical links. Although GOF tests for logistic GLM with continuous covariates (GLMCC) have been applied to GLMCCs with log links, we know of no GOF tests in the literature specifically developed for GLMCCs that can be applied regardless of link function chosen. We generalize the Tsiatis GOF statistic originally developed for logistic GLMCCs, (TG), so that it can be applied under any link function. Further, we show that the algebraically related Hosmer-Lemeshow (HL) and Pigeon-Heyse (J(2) ) statistics can be applied directly. In a simulation study, TG, HL, and J(2) were used to evaluate the fit of probit, log-log, complementary log-log, and log models, all calculated with a common grouping method. The TG statistic consistently maintained Type I error rates, while those of HL and J(2) were often lower than expected if terms with little influence were included. Generally, the statistics had similar power to detect an incorrect model. An exception occurred when a log GLMCC was incorrectly fit to data generated from a logistic GLMCC. In this case, TG had more power than HL or J(2) . © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/London School of Economics.

Goodness of fit between prenatal maternal sleep and infant sleep: Associations with maternal depression and attachment security

Science.gov (United States)

Newland, Rebecca P.; Parade, Stephanie H.; Dickstein, Susan; Seifer, Ronald

2016-01-01

The current study prospectively examined the ways in which goodness of fit between maternal and infant sleep contributes to maternal depressive symptoms and the mother-child relationship across the first years of life. In a sample of 173 mother-child dyads, maternal prenatal sleep, infant sleep, maternal depressive symptoms, and mother-child attachment security were assessed via self-report, actigraphy, and observational measures. Results suggested that a poor fit between mothers’ prenatal sleep and infants’ sleep at 8 months (measured by sleep diary and actigraphy) was associated with maternal depressive symptoms at 15 months. Additionally, maternal depression mediated the association between the interplay of mother and infant sleep (measured by sleep diary) and mother-child attachment security at 30 months. Findings emphasize the importance of the match between mother and infant sleep on maternal wellbeing and mother-child relationships and highlight the role of mothers’ perceptions of infant sleep. PMID:27448324

Empirical Power Comparison Of Goodness of Fit Tests for Normality In The Presence of Outliers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saculinggan, Mayette; Balase, Emily Amor

2013-01-01

Most statistical tests such as t-tests, linear regression analysis and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) require the normality assumptions. When the normality assumption is violated, interpretation and inferences may not be reliable. Therefore it is important to assess such assumption before using any appropriate statistical test. One of the commonly used procedures in determining whether a random sample of size n comes from a normal population are the goodness-of-fit tests for normality. Several studies have already been conducted on the comparison of the different goodness-of-fit(see, for example [2]) but it is generally limited to the sample size or to the number of GOF tests being compared(see, for example [2] [5] [6] [7] [8]). This paper compares the power of six formal tests of normality: Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (see [3]), Anderson-Darling test, Shapiro-Wilk test, Lilliefors test, Chi-Square test (see [1]) and D'Agostino-Pearson test. Small, moderate and large sample sizes and various contamination levels were used to obtain the power of each test via Monte Carlo simulation. Ten thousand samples of each sample size and contamination level at a fixed type I error rate α were generated from the given alternative distribution. The power of each test was then obtained by comparing the normality test statistics with the respective critical values. Results show that the power of all six tests is low for small sample size(see, for example [2]). But for n = 20, the Shapiro-Wilk test and Anderson – Darling test have achieved high power. For n = 60, Shapiro-Wilk test and Liliefors test are most powerful. For large sample size, Shapiro-Wilk test is most powerful (see, for example [5]). However, the test that achieves the highest power under all conditions for large sample size is D'Agostino-Pearson test (see, for example [9]).

Assessing Goodness of Fit in Item Response Theory with Nonparametric Models: A Comparison of Posterior Probabilities and Kernel-Smoothing Approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Sueiro, Manuel J.; Abad, Francisco J.

2011-01-01

The distance between nonparametric and parametric item characteristic curves has been proposed as an index of goodness of fit in item response theory in the form of a root integrated squared error index. This article proposes to use the posterior distribution of the latent trait as the nonparametric model and compares the performance of an index…

Goodness of fit between prenatal maternal sleep and infant sleep: Associations with maternal depression and attachment security.

Science.gov (United States)

Newland, Rebecca P; Parade, Stephanie H; Dickstein, Susan; Seifer, Ronald

2016-08-01

The current study prospectively examined the ways in which goodness of fit between maternal and infant sleep contributes to maternal depressive symptoms and the mother-child relationship across the first years of life. In a sample of 173 mother-child dyads, maternal prenatal sleep, infant sleep, maternal depressive symptoms, and mother-child attachment security were assessed via self-report, actigraphy, and observational measures. Results suggested that a poor fit between mothers' prenatal sleep and infants' sleep at 8 months (measured by sleep diary and actigraphy) was associated with maternal depressive symptoms at 15 months. Additionally, maternal depression mediated the association between the interplay of mother and infant sleep (measured by sleep diary) and mother-child attachment security at 30 months. Findings emphasize the importance of the match between mother and infant sleep on maternal wellbeing and mother-child relationships and highlight the role of mothers' perceptions of infant sleep. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Statistical energy as a tool for binning-free, multivariate goodness-of-fit tests, two-sample comparison and unfolding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aslan, B.; Zech, G.

2005-01-01

We introduce the novel concept of statistical energy as a statistical tool. We define statistical energy of statistical distributions in a similar way as for electric charge distributions. Charges of opposite sign are in a state of minimum energy if they are equally distributed. This property is used to check whether two samples belong to the same parent distribution, to define goodness-of-fit tests and to unfold distributions distorted by measurement. The approach is binning-free and especially powerful in multidimensional applications

From bad to good: Fitness reversals and the ascent of deleterious mutations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew C Cowperthwaite

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Deleterious mutations are considered a major impediment to adaptation, and there are straightforward expectations for the rate at which they accumulate as a function of population size and mutation rate. In a simulation model of an evolving population of asexually replicating RNA molecules, initially deleterious mutations accumulated at rates nearly equal to that of initially beneficial mutations, without impeding evolutionary progress. As the mutation rate was increased within a moderate range, deleterious mutation accumulation and mean fitness improvement both increased. The fixation rates were higher than predicted by many population-genetic models. This seemingly paradoxical result was resolved in part by the observation that, during the time to fixation, the selection coefficient (s of initially deleterious mutations reversed to confer a selective advantage. Significantly, more than half of the fixations of initially deleterious mutations involved fitness reversals. These fitness reversals had a substantial effect on the total fitness of the genome and thus contributed to its success in the population. Despite the relative importance of fitness reversals, however, the probabilities of fixation for both initially beneficial and initially deleterious mutations were exceedingly small (on the order of 10(-5 of all mutations.

Potential errors when fitting experience curves by means of spreadsheet software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sark, W.G.J.H.M. van; Alsema, E.A.

2010-01-01

Progress ratios (PRs) are widely used in forecasting development of many technologies; they are derived from historical data represented in experience curves. Fitting the double logarithmic graphs is easily done with spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel, by adding a trend line to the graph. However, it is unknown to many that these data are transformed to linear data before a fit is performed. This leads to erroneous results or a transformation bias in the PR, as we demonstrate using the experience curve for photovoltaic technology: logarithmic transformation leads to overestimates of progress ratios and underestimates of goodness of fit. Therefore, other graphing and analysis software is recommended.

Developmental pathways of fitness, and not baseline, predict fitness status at the end of childhood

OpenAIRE

Rodrigues, Luis Paulo; Stodden, David F.; Lopes, Vítor P.

2013-01-01

It is generally described that children fitness levels increase along childhood. Complementary to this idea is the notion that the tracking of children’s fitness is good to moderate during this developmental time, and that baseline (initial values) of fitness are determinant on fitness development. The importance of developmental pathways has been recently reinforced by a theoretical argument that predicts that healthy lifestyle trajectories will evolve through either a positive or n...

Survey of health status and physical fitness in Royal Thai Naval Aircraft Carrier personnel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Supanitayanon, Thanawat; Jensen, Olaf Chresten; Canals, ML

2011-01-01

blood glucose, impaired renal function tests, high uric acid, dyslipidemia, abnormal liver function tests, hypertension, abnormal urine examination, abnormal chest radiography, abnormal electrocardiography, anemia, overweight, obesity, morbid obesity, and high waist circumference. To evaluate physical...... dyslipidemia (52.1% valid only for the group =or>35 years old), overweight (27.6%) and hypertension (14.7%). Results of physical fitness tests show that on Push-Up, 39.9% of the group demonstrated a "very good" performance. Conclusions: Outdoor activities which can help to improve overall physical fitness...... levels in certain parameters such as overweight and dyslipidemia. Keywords: Health Status, Physical Fitness, Naval Medicine, Thailand....

Contact lenses fitting after intracorneal ring segments implantation in keratoconus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciane Bugmann Moreira

2013-08-01

Full Text Available PURPOSE: Evaluate contact lenses fitting after intracorneal ring implantation for keratoconus, its visual acuity and comfort. METHODS: Retrospective study of patients undergoing contact lenses fitting, after intracorneal ring for keratoconus. The criterion for contact lens fitting was unsatisfactory visual acuity with spectacle correction as referred by the patients. All patients were intolerants to contact lenses prior to intracorneal implantation. Visual acuity analysis was done by conversion of Snellen to logMAR scales. The comfort was evaluated according subjective questioning of good, medium or poor comfort. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were included in the study. Two patients (10.5% did not achieved good comfort with contact lenses and underwent penetrating keratoplasties. All the others 17 patients showed good or medium comfort. Four rigid gas-permeable contact lenses were fitted, one piggyback approach, 3 toric soft contact lenses, 2 soft lenses specially design for keratoconus and 7 disposable soft lenses. The average visual acuity improved from 0.77 ± 0.37 to 0.19 ± 0.13 logMAR units after contact lenses fitting. CONCLUSION: Contact lens fitting after intracorneal ring is possible, provides good comfort, improves visual acuity, and therefore, may postpone the need for penetrating keratoplasty.

Agricultural entrepreneurship and sustainability - is it a good or bad fit?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lauwere, de C.C.

2009-01-01

In today’s Dutch agriculture emphasis is put on entrepreneurship, social responsibility and sustainability. But do these fit together? In economic theories entrepreneurs are seen as movers of the markets, seekers of profit opportunities and innovators. Not all farmers however meet these conditions

Leadership perceptions as a function of race-occupation fit: the case of Asian Americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Sy, Thomas; Shore, Lynn M; Strauss, Judy; Shore, Ted H; Tram, Susanna; Whiteley, Paul; Ikeda-Muromachi, Kristine

2010-09-01

On the basis of the connectionist model of leadership, we examined perceptions of leadership as a function of the contextual factors of race (Asian American, Caucasian American) and occupation (engineering, sales) in 3 experiments (1 student sample and 2 industry samples). Race and occupation exhibited differential effects for within- and between-race comparisons. With regard to within-race comparisons, leadership perceptions of Asian Americans were higher when race-occupation was a good fit (engineer position) than when race-occupation was a poor fit (sales position) for the two industry samples. With regard to between-race comparisons, leadership perceptions of Asian Americans were low relative to those of Caucasian Americans. Additionally, when race-occupation was a good fit for Asian Americans, such individuals were evaluated higher on perceptions of technical competence than were Caucasian Americans, whereas they were evaluated lower when race-occupation was a poor fit. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that race affects leadership perceptions through the activation of prototypic leadership attributes (i.e., implicit leadership theories). Implications for the findings are discussed in terms of the connectionist model of leadership and leadership opportunities for Asian Americans. Copyright 2010 APA, all rights reserved

A Bayesian goodness of fit test and semiparametric generalization of logistic regression with measurement data.

Science.gov (United States)

Schörgendorfer, Angela; Branscum, Adam J; Hanson, Timothy E

2013-06-01

Logistic regression is a popular tool for risk analysis in medical and population health science. With continuous response data, it is common to create a dichotomous outcome for logistic regression analysis by specifying a threshold for positivity. Fitting a linear regression to the nondichotomized response variable assuming a logistic sampling model for the data has been empirically shown to yield more efficient estimates of odds ratios than ordinary logistic regression of the dichotomized endpoint. We illustrate that risk inference is not robust to departures from the parametric logistic distribution. Moreover, the model assumption of proportional odds is generally not satisfied when the condition of a logistic distribution for the data is violated, leading to biased inference from a parametric logistic analysis. We develop novel Bayesian semiparametric methodology for testing goodness of fit of parametric logistic regression with continuous measurement data. The testing procedures hold for any cutoff threshold and our approach simultaneously provides the ability to perform semiparametric risk estimation. Bayes factors are calculated using the Savage-Dickey ratio for testing the null hypothesis of logistic regression versus a semiparametric generalization. We propose a fully Bayesian and a computationally efficient empirical Bayesian approach to testing, and we present methods for semiparametric estimation of risks, relative risks, and odds ratios when parametric logistic regression fails. Theoretical results establish the consistency of the empirical Bayes test. Results from simulated data show that the proposed approach provides accurate inference irrespective of whether parametric assumptions hold or not. Evaluation of risk factors for obesity shows that different inferences are derived from an analysis of a real data set when deviations from a logistic distribution are permissible in a flexible semiparametric framework. © 2013, The International Biometric

Comparison of hypertabastic survival model with other unimodal hazard rate functions using a goodness-of-fit test.

Science.gov (United States)

Tahir, M Ramzan; Tran, Quang X; Nikulin, Mikhail S

2017-05-30

We studied the problem of testing a hypothesized distribution in survival regression models when the data is right censored and survival times are influenced by covariates. A modified chi-squared type test, known as Nikulin-Rao-Robson statistic, is applied for the comparison of accelerated failure time models. This statistic is used to test the goodness-of-fit for hypertabastic survival model and four other unimodal hazard rate functions. The results of simulation study showed that the hypertabastic distribution can be used as an alternative to log-logistic and log-normal distribution. In statistical modeling, because of its flexible shape of hazard functions, this distribution can also be used as a competitor of Birnbaum-Saunders and inverse Gaussian distributions. The results for the real data application are shown. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Faith community nursing demonstrates good stewardship of community benefit dollars through cost savings and cost avoidance.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Ameldia R; Coppola, Patricia; Giacona, Marian; Petriches, Anne; Stockwell, Mary Ann

2009-01-01

Health systems seeking responsible stewardship of community benefit dollars supporting Faith Community Nursing Networks require demonstration of positive measurable health outcomes. Faith Community Nurses (FCNs) answer the call for measurable outcomes by documenting cost savings and cost avoidances to families, communities, and health systems associated with their interventions. Using a spreadsheet tool based on Medicare reimbursements and diagnostic-related groupings, 3 networks of FCNs have together shown more than 600 000 (for calendar year 2008) healthcare dollars saved by avoidance of unnecessary acute care visits and extended care placements. The cost-benefit ratio of support dollars to cost savings and cost avoidance demonstrates that support of FCNs is good stewardship of community benefit dollars.

Spreadsheets, Graphing Calculators and the Line of Best Fit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernie O'Sullivan

2003-07-01

One technique that can now be done, almost mindlessly, is the line of best fit. Both the graphing calculator and the Excel spreadsheet produce models for collected data that appear to be very good fits, but upon closer scrutiny, are revealed to be quite poor. This article will examine one such case. I will couch the paper within the framework of a very good classroom investigation that will help generate students’ understanding of the basic principles of curve fitting and will enable them to produce a very accurate model of collected data by combining the technology of the graphing calculator and the spreadsheet.

Desirable design of hose fittings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Voigt, Kristian

1998-01-01

This paper describes the primary functionality of a hose fitting. There has been made a discussion about the different parts of the hose assembly - the nipple, the hose and the outer compression parts. The last subject covered is which criteria should be put up for determining what is a good hose...... fittings. There has been made an uncompleted list of 'Voice of Customer' to this respect. Observations and interviews in industry should expand this list....

Curve fitting methods for solar radiation data modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karim, Samsul Ariffin Abdul, E-mail: samsul-ariffin@petronas.com.my, E-mail: balbir@petronas.com.my; Singh, Balbir Singh Mahinder, E-mail: samsul-ariffin@petronas.com.my, E-mail: balbir@petronas.com.my [Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Information Technology, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 31750 Tronoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan (Malaysia)

2014-10-24

This paper studies the use of several type of curve fitting method to smooth the global solar radiation data. After the data have been fitted by using curve fitting method, the mathematical model of global solar radiation will be developed. The error measurement was calculated by using goodness-fit statistics such as root mean square error (RMSE) and the value of R{sup 2}. The best fitting methods will be used as a starting point for the construction of mathematical modeling of solar radiation received in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) Malaysia. Numerical results indicated that Gaussian fitting and sine fitting (both with two terms) gives better results as compare with the other fitting methods.

Curve fitting methods for solar radiation data modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Karim, Samsul Ariffin Abdul; Singh, Balbir Singh Mahinder

2014-10-01

This paper studies the use of several type of curve fitting method to smooth the global solar radiation data. After the data have been fitted by using curve fitting method, the mathematical model of global solar radiation will be developed. The error measurement was calculated by using goodness-fit statistics such as root mean square error (RMSE) and the value of R2. The best fitting methods will be used as a starting point for the construction of mathematical modeling of solar radiation received in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) Malaysia. Numerical results indicated that Gaussian fitting and sine fitting (both with two terms) gives better results as compare with the other fitting methods.

Curve fitting methods for solar radiation data modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karim, Samsul Ariffin Abdul; Singh, Balbir Singh Mahinder

2014-01-01

This paper studies the use of several type of curve fitting method to smooth the global solar radiation data. After the data have been fitted by using curve fitting method, the mathematical model of global solar radiation will be developed. The error measurement was calculated by using goodness-fit statistics such as root mean square error (RMSE) and the value of R 2 . The best fitting methods will be used as a starting point for the construction of mathematical modeling of solar radiation received in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) Malaysia. Numerical results indicated that Gaussian fitting and sine fitting (both with two terms) gives better results as compare with the other fitting methods

Genome-wide survey in African Americans demonstrates potential epistasis of fitness in the human genome.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Heming; Choi, Yoonha; Tayo, Bamidele; Wang, Xuefeng; Morris, Nathan; Zhang, Xiang; Broeckel, Uli; Hanis, Craig; Kardia, Sharon; Redline, Susan; Cooper, Richard S; Tang, Hua; Zhu, Xiaofeng

2017-02-01

The role played by epistasis between alleles at unlinked loci in shaping population fitness has been debated for many years and the existing evidence has been mainly accumulated from model organisms. In model organisms, fitness epistasis can be systematically inferred by detecting nonindependence of genotypic values between loci in a population and confirmed through examining the number of offspring produced in two-locus genotype groups. No systematic study has been conducted to detect epistasis of fitness in humans owing to experimental constraints. In this study, we developed a novel method to detect fitness epistasis by testing the correlation between local ancestries on different chromosomes in an admixed population. We inferred local ancestry across the genome in 16,252 unrelated African Americans and systematically examined the pairwise correlations between the genomic regions on different chromosomes. Our analysis revealed a pair of genomic regions on chromosomes 4 and 6 that show significant local ancestry correlation (P-value = 4.01 × 10 -8 ) that can be potentially attributed to fitness epistasis. However, we also observed substantial local ancestry correlation that cannot be explained by systemic ancestry inference bias. To our knowledge, this study is the first to systematically examine evidence of fitness epistasis across the human genome. © 2016 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

Direct photon production and PDF fits reloaded

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campbell, John M.; Rojo, Juan; Slade, Emma; Williams, Ciaran

2018-02-08

Direct photon production in hadronic collisions provides a handle on the gluon PDF by means of the QCD Compton scattering process. In this work we revisit the impact of direct photon production on a global PDF analysis, motivated by the recent availability of the next-to-next-to-leading (NNLO) calculation for this process. We demonstrate that the inclusion of NNLO QCD and leading-logarithmic electroweak corrections leads to a good quantitative agreement with the ATLAS measurements at 8 TeV and 13 TeV, except for the most forward rapidity region in the former case. By including the ATLAS 8 TeV direct photon production data in the NNPDF3.1 NNLO global analysis, we assess its impact on the medium-x gluon. We also study the constraining power of the direct photon production measurements on PDF fits based on different datasets, in particular on the NNPDF3.1 no-LHC and collider-only fits. We also present updated NNLO theoretical predictions for direct photon production at 13 TeV that include the constraints from the 8 TeV measurements.

75 FR 37281 - President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-28

... Part VI The President Executive Order 13545--President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition... Order 13545 of June 22, 2010 President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition By the authority... recognize that good nutrition goes hand in hand with fitness and sports participation, Executive Order 13265...

Fitness to plead: Development and validation of a standardised assessment instrument.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Penelope Brown

Full Text Available The ability of an individual to participate in courtroom proceedings is assessed by clinicians using legal 'fitness to plead' criteria. Findings of 'unfitness' are so rare that there is considerable professional unease concerning the utility of the current subjective assessment process. As a result, mentally disordered defendants may be subjected unfairly to criminal trials. The Law Commission in England and Wales has proposed legal reform, as well as the utilisation of a defined psychiatric instrument to assist in fitness to plead assessments. Similar legal reforms are occurring in other jurisdictions. Our objective was to produce and validate a standardised assessment instrument of fitness to plead employing a filmed vignette of criminal proceedings. The instrument was developed in consultation with legal and clinical professionals, and was refined using standard item reduction methods in two initial rounds of testing (n = 212. The factorial structure, test-retest reliability and convergent validity of the resultant instrument were assessed in a further round (n = 160. As a result of this iterative process a 25-item scale was produced, with an underlying two-factor structure representing the foundational and decision-making abilities underpinning fitness to plead. The sub-scales demonstrate good internal consistency (factor 1: 0·76; factor 2: 0·65 and test-retest stability (0·7 as well as excellent convergent validity with scores of intelligence, executive function and mentalising abilities (p≤0·01 in all domains. Overall the standardised Fitness to Plead Assessment instrument has good psychometric properties. It has the potential to ensure that the significant numbers of mentally ill and cognitively impaired individuals who face trial are objectively assessed, and the courtroom process critically informed.

Validity and reliability of Nintendo Wii Fit balance scores.

Science.gov (United States)

Wikstrom, Erik A

2012-01-01

Interactive gaming systems have the potential to help rehabilitate patients with musculoskeletal conditions. The Nintendo Wii Balance Board, which is part of the Wii Fit game, could be an effective tool to monitor progress during rehabilitation because the board and game can provide objective measures of balance. However, the validity and reliability of Wii Fit balance scores remain unknown. To determine the concurrent validity of balance scores produced by the Wii Fit game and the intrasession and intersession reliability of Wii Fit balance scores. Descriptive laboratory study. Sports medicine research laboratory. Forty-five recreationally active participants (age = 27.0 ± 9.8 years, height = 170.9 ± 9.2 cm, mass = 72.4 ± 11.8 kg) with a heterogeneous history of lower extremity injury. Participants completed a single-limb-stance task on a force plate and the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) during the first test session. Twelve Wii Fit balance activities were completed during 2 test sessions separated by 1 week. Postural sway in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions and the AP, ML, and resultant center-of-pressure (COP) excursions were calculated from the single-limb stance. The normalized reach distance was recorded for the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions of the SEBT. Wii Fit balance scores that the game software generated also were recorded. All 96 of the calculated correlation coefficients among Wii Fit activity outcomes and established balance outcomes were interpreted as poor (r Wii Fit balance activity scores ranged from good (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.80) to poor (ICC = 0.39), with 8 activities having poor intrasession reliability. Similarly, 11 of the 12 Wii Fit balance activity scores demonstrated poor intersession reliability, with scores ranging from fair (ICC = 0.74) to poor (ICC = 0.29). Wii Fit balance activity scores had poor concurrent validity relative to COP outcomes and SEBT

A Good Neighborhood for Cells: Bioreactor Demonstration System (BDS-05)

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Leland W. K.; Goodwin, Thomas J. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Good neighborhoods help you grow. As with a city, the lives of a cell are governed by its neighborhood connections Connections that do not work are implicated in a range of diseases. One of those connections - between prostate cancer and bone cells - will be studied on STS-107 using the Bioreactor Demonstration System (BDS-05). To improve the prospects for finding novel therapies, and to identify biomarkers that predict disease progression, scientists need tissue models that behave the same as metastatic or spreading cancer. This is one of several NASA-sponsored lines of cell science research that use the microgravity environment of orbit in an attempt to grow lifelike tissue models for health research. As cells replicate, they "self associate" to form a complex matrix of collagens, proteins, fibers, and other structures. This highly evolved microenvironment tells each cell who is next door, how it should grow arid into what shapes, and how to respond to bacteria, wounds, and other stimuli. Studying these mechanisms outside the body is difficult because cells do not easily self-associate outside a natural environment. Most cell cultures produce thin, flat specimens that offer limited insight into how cells work together. Ironically, growing cell cultures in the microgravity of space produces cell assemblies that more closely resemble what is found in bodies on Earth. NASA's Bioreactor comprises a miniature life support system and a rotating vessel containing cell specimens in a nutrient medium. Orbital BDS experiments that cultured colon and prostate cancers have been highly promising.

Demonstration of pb-PSHA with Ras-Elhekma earthquake, Egypt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elsayed Fergany

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The main goal of this work is to: (1 argue for the importance of a physically-based probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (pb-PSHA methodology and show examples to support the argument from recent events, (2 demonstrate the methodology with the ground motion simulations of May 28, 1998, Mw = 5.5 Ras-Elhekma earthquake, north Egypt. The boundaries for the possible rupture parameters that may have been identified prior to the 1998 Ras-Elhekma earthquake were estimated. A range of simulated ground-motions for the Ras-Elhekma earthquake was “predicted” for frequency 0.5–25 Hz at three sites, where the large earthquake was recorded, with average epicentral distances of 220 km. The best rupture model of the 1998 Ras-Elhekma earthquake was identified by calculated the goodness of fit between observed and synthesized records at sites FYM, HAG, and KOT. We used the best rupture scenario of the 1998 earthquake to synthesize the ground motions at interested sites where the main shock was not recorded. Based on the good fit of simulated and observed seismograms, we concluded that this methodology can provide realistic ground motion of an earthquake and highly recommended for engineering purposes in advance or foregoing large earthquakes at non record sites. We propose that there is a need for this methodology for good-representing the true hazard with reducing uncertainties.

Fitting experimental data by using weighted Monte Carlo events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stojnev, S.

2003-01-01

A method for fitting experimental data using modified Monte Carlo (MC) sample is developed. It is intended to help when a single finite MC source has to fit experimental data looking for parameters in a certain underlying theory. The extraction of the searched parameters, the errors estimation and the goodness-of-fit testing is based on the binned maximum likelihood method

Assessing the Goodness of Fit of Phylogenetic Comparative Methods: A Meta-Analysis and Simulation Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dwueng-Chwuan Jhwueng

Full Text Available Phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs have been applied widely in analyzing data from related species but their fit to data is rarely assessed.Can one determine whether any particular comparative method is typically more appropriate than others by examining comparative data sets?I conducted a meta-analysis of 122 phylogenetic data sets found by searching all papers in JEB, Blackwell Synergy and JSTOR published in 2002-2005 for the purpose of assessing the fit of PCMs. The number of species in these data sets ranged from 9 to 117.I used the Akaike information criterion to compare PCMs, and then fit PCMs to bivariate data sets through REML analysis. Correlation estimates between two traits and bootstrapped confidence intervals of correlations from each model were also compared.For phylogenies of less than one hundred taxa, the Independent Contrast method and the independent, non-phylogenetic models provide the best fit.For bivariate analysis, correlations from different PCMs are qualitatively similar so that actual correlations from real data seem to be robust to the PCM chosen for the analysis. Therefore, researchers might apply the PCM they believe best describes the evolutionary mechanisms underlying their data.

The association between physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness and self-rated health.

Science.gov (United States)

Eriksen, Louise; Curtis, Tine; Grønbæk, Morten; Helge, Jørn W; Tolstrup, Janne S

2013-12-01

To investigate the joint association between self-reported physical activity as well as cardiorespiratory fitness and self-rated health among healthy women and men. Data from 10,416 participants in The Danish Health Examination Survey 2007-2008 which took part in 13 Danish municipalities were analyzed. Leisure time physical activity level and self-rated health were based on self-reported questionnaire data. Optimal self-rated health was defined as "very good" or "good" self-rated health. Cardiorespiratory fitness (mL O2·min(-1)·kg(-1)) was estimated from maximal power output in a maximal cycle exercise test. A strong dose-response relation between cardiorespiratory fitness and self-rated health as well as between physical activity level and self-rated health among both women and men was found. Within categories of physical activity, odds ratios for optimal self-rated health increased with increasing categories of cardiorespiratory fitness, and vice versa. Hence, participants who were moderately/vigorously physically active and had a high cardiorespiratory fitness had the highest odds ratio for optimal self-rated health compared with sedentary participants with low cardiorespiratory fitness (odds ratio=12.2, 95% confidence interval: 9.3-16.1). Although reluctant to conclude on causality, this study suggests that an active lifestyle as well as good cardiorespiratory fitness probably increase self-rated health. © 2013.

aMCfast: automation of fast NLO computations for PDF fits

CERN Document Server

Bertone, Valerio; Frixione, Stefano; Rojo, Juan; Sutton, Mark

2014-01-01

We present the interface between MadGraph5_aMC@NLO, a self-contained program that calculates cross sections up to next-to-leading order accuracy in an automated manner, and APPLgrid, a code that parametrises such cross sections in the form of look-up tables which can be used for the fast computations needed in the context of PDF fits. The main characteristic of this interface, which we dub aMCfast, is its being fully automated as well, which removes the need to extract manually the process-specific information for additional physics processes, as is the case with other matrix element calculators, and renders it straightforward to include any new process in the PDF fits. We demonstrate this by studying several cases which are easily measured at the LHC, have a good constraining power on PDFs, and some of which were previously unavailable in the form of a fast interface.

Efficient Constrained Local Model Fitting for Non-Rigid Face Alignment.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucey, Simon; Wang, Yang; Cox, Mark; Sridharan, Sridha; Cohn, Jeffery F

2009-11-01

Active appearance models (AAMs) have demonstrated great utility when being employed for non-rigid face alignment/tracking. The "simultaneous" algorithm for fitting an AAM achieves good non-rigid face registration performance, but has poor real time performance (2-3 fps). The "project-out" algorithm for fitting an AAM achieves faster than real time performance (> 200 fps) but suffers from poor generic alignment performance. In this paper we introduce an extension to a discriminative method for non-rigid face registration/tracking referred to as a constrained local model (CLM). Our proposed method is able to achieve superior performance to the "simultaneous" AAM algorithm along with real time fitting speeds (35 fps). We improve upon the canonical CLM formulation, to gain this performance, in a number of ways by employing: (i) linear SVMs as patch-experts, (ii) a simplified optimization criteria, and (iii) a composite rather than additive warp update step. Most notably, our simplified optimization criteria for fitting the CLM divides the problem of finding a single complex registration/warp displacement into that of finding N simple warp displacements. From these N simple warp displacements, a single complex warp displacement is estimated using a weighted least-squares constraint. Another major advantage of this simplified optimization lends from its ability to be parallelized, a step which we also theoretically explore in this paper. We refer to our approach for fitting the CLM as the "exhaustive local search" (ELS) algorithm. Experiments were conducted on the CMU Multi-PIE database.

Vestibular schwannoma and fitness to fly.

Science.gov (United States)

Pons, Yoann; Raynal, Marc; Hunkemöller, Iris; Lepage, Pierre; Kossowski, Michel

2010-10-01

When a pilot is referred for vestibular schwannoma (VS), his or her fitness to fly may be questioned. The objective of this retrospective study was to describe a series of VS cases in a pilot population and to discuss their fitness to fly options. Between September 2002 and March 2010, the ENT/Head and Neck Surgery Department of the National Pilot Expertise Center conducted nearly 120,000 expert consultations for 40,000 pilots. We examined the files of 10 pilots who were referred to our 2 national experts for VS. At the time of the expert consultation, hypoacusis was present in nine cases (four with total deafness), tinnitus in one case, and vertigo in nine cases. In our series, only 2 of the 10 pilots experienced a negative impact on their fitness to fly. Decisions on fitness to fly were based on several factors: minimally disturbed audition, i.e., less than a 35-dB hearing loss with a good speech discrimination score; good balance, i.e., no reported difficulties; no spontaneous nystagmus recorded on videonystagmography (VNG); no postural deviation; and a normal head-shaking test. The delay and the VS's evolution between diagnosis and expert consultation are important because the selection of a treatment to control VS is critical in minimizing the possible associated complications. When a pilot is referred for VS, his or her fitness to fly is determined by the size of the tumor, balance, auditory status, and the follow-up results of these findings. The complications that may arise from VS treatments must also be considered.

Limitations of inclusive fitness.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Benjamin; Nowak, Martin A; Wilson, Edward O

2013-12-10

Until recently, inclusive fitness has been widely accepted as a general method to explain the evolution of social behavior. Affirming and expanding earlier criticism, we demonstrate that inclusive fitness is instead a limited concept, which exists only for a small subset of evolutionary processes. Inclusive fitness assumes that personal fitness is the sum of additive components caused by individual actions. This assumption does not hold for the majority of evolutionary processes or scenarios. To sidestep this limitation, inclusive fitness theorists have proposed a method using linear regression. On the basis of this method, it is claimed that inclusive fitness theory (i) predicts the direction of allele frequency changes, (ii) reveals the reasons for these changes, (iii) is as general as natural selection, and (iv) provides a universal design principle for evolution. In this paper we evaluate these claims, and show that all of them are unfounded. If the objective is to analyze whether mutations that modify social behavior are favored or opposed by natural selection, then no aspect of inclusive fitness theory is needed.

Bootstrap Power of Time Series Goodness of fit tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sohail Chand

2013-10-01

Full Text Available In this article, we looked at power of various versions of Box and Pierce statistic and Cramer von Mises test. An extensive simulation study has been conducted to compare the power of these tests. Algorithms have been provided for the power calculations and comparison has also been made between the semi parametric bootstrap methods used for time series. Results show that Box-Pierce statistic and its various versions have good power against linear time series models but poor power against non linear models while situation reverses for Cramer von Mises test. Moreover, we found that dynamic bootstrap method is better than xed design bootstrap method.

Validity and Reliability of Nintendo Wii Fit Balance Scores

Science.gov (United States)

Wikstrom, Erik A.

2012-01-01

Context: Interactive gaming systems have the potential to help rehabilitate patients with musculoskeletal conditions. The Nintendo Wii Balance Board, which is part of the Wii Fit game, could be an effective tool to monitor progress during rehabilitation because the board and game can provide objective measures of balance. However, the validity and reliability of Wii Fit balance scores remain unknown. Objective: To determine the concurrent validity of balance scores produced by the Wii Fit game and the intrasession and intersession reliability of Wii Fit balance scores. Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Setting: Sports medicine research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Forty-five recreationally active participants (age  =  27.0 ± 9.8 years, height  =  170.9 ± 9.2 cm, mass  =  72.4 ± 11.8 kg) with a heterogeneous history of lower extremity injury. Intervention(s): Participants completed a single-limb–stance task on a force plate and the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) during the first test session. Twelve Wii Fit balance activities were completed during 2 test sessions separated by 1 week. Main Outcome Measure(s): Postural sway in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions and the AP, ML, and resultant center-of-pressure (COP) excursions were calculated from the single-limb stance. The normalized reach distance was recorded for the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions of the SEBT. Wii Fit balance scores that the game software generated also were recorded. Results: All 96 of the calculated correlation coefficients among Wii Fit activity outcomes and established balance outcomes were interpreted as poor (r Wii Fit balance activity scores ranged from good (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]  =  0.80) to poor (ICC  =  0.39), with 8 activities having poor intrasession reliability. Similarly, 11 of the 12 Wii Fit balance activity scores demonstrated poor intersession reliability, with

A chi-square goodness-of-fit test for non-identically distributed random variables: with application to empirical Bayes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conover, W.J.; Cox, D.D.; Martz, H.F.

1997-12-01

When using parametric empirical Bayes estimation methods for estimating the binomial or Poisson parameter, the validity of the assumed beta or gamma conjugate prior distribution is an important diagnostic consideration. Chi-square goodness-of-fit tests of the beta or gamma prior hypothesis are developed for use when the binomial sample sizes or Poisson exposure times vary. Nine examples illustrate the application of the methods, using real data from such diverse applications as the loss of feedwater flow rates in nuclear power plants, the probability of failure to run on demand and the failure rates of the high pressure coolant injection systems at US commercial boiling water reactors, the probability of failure to run on demand of emergency diesel generators in US commercial nuclear power plants, the rate of failure of aircraft air conditioners, baseball batting averages, the probability of testing positive for toxoplasmosis, and the probability of tumors in rats. The tests are easily applied in practice by means of corresponding Mathematica reg-sign computer programs which are provided

A Good Fit?

Science.gov (United States)

Violino, Bob

2010-01-01

Outsourcing has evolved into a strategic imperative at a growing number of community colleges, especially as administrators rein in spending and streamline operations in the face of shrinking budgets. Across the country, more colleges are outsourcing a range of functions, including information technology (IT), course instruction, food service,…

Fitting Hidden Markov Models to Psychological Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingmar Visser

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Markov models have been used extensively in psychology of learning. Applications of hidden Markov models are rare however. This is partially due to the fact that comprehensive statistics for model selection and model assessment are lacking in the psychological literature. We present model selection and model assessment statistics that are particularly useful in applying hidden Markov models in psychology. These statistics are presented and evaluated by simulation studies for a toy example. We compare AIC, BIC and related criteria and introduce a prediction error measure for assessing goodness-of-fit. In a simulation study, two methods of fitting equality constraints are compared. In two illustrative examples with experimental data we apply selection criteria, fit models with constraints and assess goodness-of-fit. First, data from a concept identification task is analyzed. Hidden Markov models provide a flexible approach to analyzing such data when compared to other modeling methods. Second, a novel application of hidden Markov models in implicit learning is presented. Hidden Markov models are used in this context to quantify knowledge that subjects express in an implicit learning task. This method of analyzing implicit learning data provides a comprehensive approach for addressing important theoretical issues in the field.

Harbouring public good mutants within a pathogen population can increase both fitness and virulence.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindsay, Richard J; Kershaw, Michael J; Pawlowska, Bogna J; Talbot, Nicholas J; Gudelj, Ivana

2016-12-28

Existing theory, empirical, clinical and field research all predict that reducing the virulence of individuals within a pathogen population will reduce the overall virulence, rendering disease less severe. Here, we show that this seemingly successful disease management strategy can fail with devastating consequences for infected hosts. We deploy cooperation theory and a novel synthetic system involving the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae . In vivo infections of rice demonstrate that M. oryzae virulence is enhanced, quite paradoxically, when a public good mutant is present in a population of high-virulence pathogens. We reason that during infection, the fungus engages in multiple cooperative acts to exploit host resources. We establish a multi-trait cooperation model which suggests that the observed failure of the virulence reduction strategy is caused by the interference between different social traits. Multi-trait cooperative interactions are widespread, so we caution against the indiscriminant application of anti-virulence therapy as a disease-management strategy.

Good genes, complementary genes and human mate preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, S Craig; Little, Anthony C

2008-09-01

The past decade has witnessed a rapidly growing interest in the biological basis of human mate choice. Here we review recent studies that demonstrate preferences for traits which might reveal genetic quality to prospective mates, with potential but still largely unknown influence on offspring fitness. These include studies assessing visual, olfactory and auditory preferences for potential good-gene indicator traits, such as dominance or bilateral symmetry. Individual differences in these robust preferences mainly arise through within and between individual variation in condition and reproductive status. Another set of studies have revealed preferences for traits indicating complementary genes, focussing on discrimination of dissimilarity at genes in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). As in animal studies, we are only just beginning to understand how preferences for specific traits vary and inter-relate, how consideration of good and compatible genes can lead to substantial variability in individual mate choice decisions and how preferences expressed in one sensory modality may reflect those in another. Humans may be an ideal model species in which to explore these interesting complexities.

Assessing fit in Bayesian models for spatial processes

KAUST Repository

Jun, M.; Katzfuss, M.; Hu, J.; Johnson, V. E.

2014-01-01

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Gaussian random fields are frequently used to model spatial and spatial-temporal data, particularly in geostatistical settings. As much of the attention of the statistics community has been focused on defining and estimating the mean and covariance functions of these processes, little effort has been devoted to developing goodness-of-fit tests to allow users to assess the models' adequacy. We describe a general goodness-of-fit test and related graphical diagnostics for assessing the fit of Bayesian Gaussian process models using pivotal discrepancy measures. Our method is applicable for both regularly and irregularly spaced observation locations on planar and spherical domains. The essential idea behind our method is to evaluate pivotal quantities defined for a realization of a Gaussian random field at parameter values drawn from the posterior distribution. Because the nominal distribution of the resulting pivotal discrepancy measures is known, it is possible to quantitatively assess model fit directly from the output of Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms used to sample from the posterior distribution on the parameter space. We illustrate our method in a simulation study and in two applications.

Assessing fit in Bayesian models for spatial processes

KAUST Repository

Jun, M.

2014-09-16

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Gaussian random fields are frequently used to model spatial and spatial-temporal data, particularly in geostatistical settings. As much of the attention of the statistics community has been focused on defining and estimating the mean and covariance functions of these processes, little effort has been devoted to developing goodness-of-fit tests to allow users to assess the models\\' adequacy. We describe a general goodness-of-fit test and related graphical diagnostics for assessing the fit of Bayesian Gaussian process models using pivotal discrepancy measures. Our method is applicable for both regularly and irregularly spaced observation locations on planar and spherical domains. The essential idea behind our method is to evaluate pivotal quantities defined for a realization of a Gaussian random field at parameter values drawn from the posterior distribution. Because the nominal distribution of the resulting pivotal discrepancy measures is known, it is possible to quantitatively assess model fit directly from the output of Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms used to sample from the posterior distribution on the parameter space. We illustrate our method in a simulation study and in two applications.

Validity and reliability of self-assessed physical fitness using visual analogue scales

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Strøyer, Jesper; Essendrop, Morten; Jensen, Lone Donbaek

2007-01-01

To test the validity and reliability of self-assessed physical fitness samples included healthcare assistants working at a hospital (women=170, men=17), persons working with physically and mentally handicapped patients (women=530, men= 123), and two separate groups of healthcare students (a) women...... except for flexibility among men. The reliability was moderate to good (ICC = .62 - .80). Self-assessed aerobic fitness, muscle strength, and flexibility showed moderate construct validity and moderate to good reliability using visual analogues.......=91 and men=5 and (b) women=159 and men=10. Five components of physical fitness were self-assessed by Visual Analogue Scales with illustrations and verbal anchors for the extremes: aerobic fitness, muscle strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance. Convergent and divergent validity were evaluated...

physical fitness self-related by the elderly and its relationship

African Journals Online (AJOL)

CASA

the majority of the elderly perceived their fitness as good or very good, with this variable being ... the benefits of physical activity (PA) and sport for the elderly, not only physically, but also psychologically ..... Relations of sex, age, perceived ...

F-35 Protective Equipment Fit Assessment: Light Weight Coverall

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-01

preferences (Waist and Hip) between men and women or very different body sizes relative to the garment size (Neck). Females preferred a tighter fit. When...constructing the final concept of fit, the pass/fail range for ease or line measures were calculated separately for men and women where necessary...11.5 Stature Class 4,5 3 6.5~10 13.5 Table 4. Fit ranges for Ease Measurements Unit: cm Tight Good Loose Chest Ease around the Chest at nipple

Time series models of environmental exposures: Good predictions or good understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, Adrian G; Stephen, Dimity; Huang, Cunrui; Wolkewitz, Martin

2017-04-01

Time series data are popular in environmental epidemiology as they make use of the natural experiment of how changes in exposure over time might impact on disease. Many published time series papers have used parameter-heavy models that fully explained the second order patterns in disease to give residuals that have no short-term autocorrelation or seasonality. This is often achieved by including predictors of past disease counts (autoregression) or seasonal splines with many degrees of freedom. These approaches give great residuals, but add little to our understanding of cause and effect. We argue that modelling approaches should rely more on good epidemiology and less on statistical tests. This includes thinking about causal pathways, making potential confounders explicit, fitting a limited number of models, and not over-fitting at the cost of under-estimating the true association between exposure and disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Higher levels of cardiovascular fitness are associated with better executive function and prefrontal oxygenation in younger and older women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olivier eDupuy

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Aim: Many studies have suggested that physical exercise training improves cognition and more selectively executive functions. There is a growing interest to clarify the neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie this effect. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the neurophysiological changes in cerebral oxygenation associated with physical fitness level and executive functions. Method: In this study, 22 younger and 36 older women underwent a maximal graded continuous test (i.e., O2max in order to classifyassign them into a fitness group (higher vs. lower fit. All participants completed neuropsychological paper and pencil testing and a computerized Stroop task (which contained executive and non-executive conditions in which the change in pPrefrontal cortex oxygenation change was evaluated in all participants with a near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS. system during a computerized Stroop task (which contains executive and non-executive conditions. Results: Our findings revealed a Fitness x Condition interaction (p < .05 such that higher fit women scored better on measures of executive functions than lower fit women. In comparison to lower fit women, higher fit women had faster reaction times in the switching (executiveExecutive condition of the computerized Stroop task. No significant effect was observed ion the non-executive condition of the test and no interactions were found with age. In measures of cerebral oxygenation (ΔHbT and ΔHbO2, we found a main effect of fitness on cerebral oxygenation during the Stroop task such that only high fit women demonstrated a significant increase in the right inferior frontal gyrus. Discussion/Conclusion:Higher fit individuals who demonstrate better cardiorespiratory functions (as measured by O2max show faster reaction times and greater cerebral oxygenation in the right inferior frontal gyrus than women with lower fitness levels. The lack of interaction with age, suggests that good

Media Literacy in Teacher Education: A Good Fit across the Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Meehan, Jessica; Ray, Brandi; Walker, Amanda; Wells, Sunny; Schwarz, Gretchen

2015-01-01

Current preoccupations in teacher education reform include data gathering, teaching technique, and preparing PK-12 students for standardized tests. The purpose of American education has been reduced to economic benefit. Concerns with ethical behavior, the good life, and democratic citizenship have fallen by the wayside except perhaps in a single…

CdTe reflection anisotropy line shape fitting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molina-Contreras, J.R.

2010-01-01

In this paper, an empirical novel plane-wave time dependent ensemble is introduced to fit the RA, the reflectance (R) and the imaginary part of the dielectric function oscillation measured around the E 1 and E 1 + Δ 1 transition region in II-VI semiconductors. By applying the new plane-wave time dependent ensemble to the measured spectrum for a (0 0 1) oriented CdTe undoped commercial wafer, crystallized in a zinc-blende structure, a very good agreement was found between the measured spectrum and the fitting. In addition to this, the reliability of the plane-wave time dependent ensemble was probed, by comparing the results with the calculated fitting in terms of a Fourier series and in terms of a six-order polynomial fit. Our analysis suggests, that the experimental oscillation in the line shape of the RA cannot be fitted with a Fourier series using harmonics multiples of the number which dominates the measured RA spectra in the argument of the plane-wave ensemble.

Good-to-Great Superintendents: An Examination of Jim Collins' Good-to-Great Level Five Leadership Attributes as Demonstrated by the Leadership Behaviors of Superintendents of High-Performing California Public Single-School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, James D.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine Collins' good-to-great Level Five leadership attributes, as demonstrated by the leadership behaviors of superintendents of high-performing California public single-school districts. Methodology: The researcher used a case study design to conduct this study. Personal interviews were conducted in…

Verification of the geostatistical inference code INFERENS, Version 1.1, and demonstration using data from Finnsjoen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geier, J.

1993-06-01

This report describes preliminary verification and demonstration of the geostatistical inference code, INFERENS Version 1.1. This code performs regularization of packer test conductivities, and iterative generalized least-squares estimation (IGLSE) of nested covariance models and spatial trends for the regularized data. Cross-validation is used to assess the quality of the estimated models in terms of statistics for the kriging errors. The code includes a capability to generate synthetic datasets for a given configuration of packer tests; this capability can be used for verification exercises and numerical experiments to aid in the design of packer testing programs. The report presents the results of a set of verification test cases. The test cases were designed to test the ability of INFERENS 1.1 to estimate the parameters of a variety of covariance models, with or without trends. This was done using synthetic datasets. This report also describes an application of INFERENS 1.1 to the dataset from the Finnsjoen site. The results are roughly similar to those obtained previously by Norman (1992a) using INFERENS 1.0, for the comparable cases. The actual numerical results are different, which may be due to changes in the fitting algorithms, and differences in how the lag pairs are divided into lag classes. The demonstrations confirm the result previously obtained by Norman, that the fitted horizontally isotropic models are less good, in terms of their cross-validation statistics, than the corresponding isotropic models. The use of nested covariance models is demonstrated to give visually improved fits to the sample semivariograms, at both short and long lag distances. However, despite the good match to the semivariograms, the nested models obtained are not better than the simple models, in terms of cross-validation statistics

Identifying best-fitting inputs in health-economic model calibration: a Pareto frontier approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Enns, Eva A; Cipriano, Lauren E; Simons, Cyrena T; Kong, Chung Yin

2015-02-01

To identify best-fitting input sets using model calibration, individual calibration target fits are often combined into a single goodness-of-fit (GOF) measure using a set of weights. Decisions in the calibration process, such as which weights to use, influence which sets of model inputs are identified as best-fitting, potentially leading to different health economic conclusions. We present an alternative approach to identifying best-fitting input sets based on the concept of Pareto-optimality. A set of model inputs is on the Pareto frontier if no other input set simultaneously fits all calibration targets as well or better. We demonstrate the Pareto frontier approach in the calibration of 2 models: a simple, illustrative Markov model and a previously published cost-effectiveness model of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). For each model, we compare the input sets on the Pareto frontier to an equal number of best-fitting input sets according to 2 possible weighted-sum GOF scoring systems, and we compare the health economic conclusions arising from these different definitions of best-fitting. For the simple model, outcomes evaluated over the best-fitting input sets according to the 2 weighted-sum GOF schemes were virtually nonoverlapping on the cost-effectiveness plane and resulted in very different incremental cost-effectiveness ratios ($79,300 [95% CI 72,500-87,600] v. $139,700 [95% CI 79,900-182,800] per quality-adjusted life-year [QALY] gained). Input sets on the Pareto frontier spanned both regions ($79,000 [95% CI 64,900-156,200] per QALY gained). The TAVR model yielded similar results. Choices in generating a summary GOF score may result in different health economic conclusions. The Pareto frontier approach eliminates the need to make these choices by using an intuitive and transparent notion of optimality as the basis for identifying best-fitting input sets. © The Author(s) 2014.

MixFit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haller, Toomas; Leitsalu, Liis; Fischer, Krista

2017-01-01

Ancestry information at the individual level can be a valuable resource for personalized medicine, medical, demographical and history research, as well as for tracing back personal history. We report a new method for quantitatively determining personal genetic ancestry based on genome-wide data....... Numerical ancestry component scores are assigned to individuals based on comparisons with reference populations. These comparisons are conducted with an existing analytical pipeline making use of genotype phasing, similarity matrix computation and our addition-multidimensional best fitting by Mix......Fit. The method is demonstrated by studying Estonian and Finnish populations in geographical context. We show the main differences in the genetic composition of these otherwise close European populations and how they have influenced each other. The components of our analytical pipeline are freely available...

Uniqueness plots: A simple graphical tool for identifying poor peak fits in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Bhupinder; Diwan, Anubhav; Jain, Varun; Herrera-Gomez, Alberto; Terry, Jeff; Linford, Matthew R.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Uniqueness plots are introduced as a new tool for identifying poor XPS peak fits. • Uniqueness plots are demonstrated on real XPS data sets. • A horizontal line in a uniqueness plot indicates a poor fit, i.e., fit parameter correlation. • A parabolic shape in a uniqueness plot indicates that a fit may be appropriate. - Abstract: Peak fitting is an essential part of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) narrow scan analysis, and the Literature contains both good and bad examples of peak fitting. A common cause of poor peak fitting is the inclusion of too many fit parameters, often without a sound chemical and/or physical basis for them, and/or the failure to reasonably constrain them. Under these conditions, fit parameters are often correlated, and therefore lacking in statistical meaning. Here we introduce the uniqueness plot as a simple graphical tool for identifying bad peak fits in XPS, i.e., fit parameter correlation. These plots are widely used in spectroscopic ellipsometry. We illustrate uniqueness plots with two data sets: a C 1s narrow scan from ozone-treated carbon nanotube forests and an Si 2p narrow scan from an air-oxidized silicon wafer. For each fit, we consider different numbers of parameters and constraints on them. As expected, the uniqueness plots are parabolic when fewer fit parameters and/or more constraints are applied. However, they fan out and eventually become horizontal lines as more unconstrained parameters are included in the fits. Uniqueness plots are generated by plotting the chi squared (χ 2 ) value for a fit vs. a systematically varied value of a parameter in the fit. The Abbe criterion is also considered as a figure of merit for uniqueness plots in the Supporting Information. We recommend that uniqueness plots be used by XPS practitioners for identifying inappropriate peak fits.

Uniqueness plots: A simple graphical tool for identifying poor peak fits in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Bhupinder; Diwan, Anubhav; Jain, Varun [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84606 (United States); Herrera-Gomez, Alberto [CINVESTAV-Unidad Queretaro, Queretaro, 76230 (Mexico); Terry, Jeff [Department of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, 60616 (United States); Linford, Matthew R., E-mail: mrlinford@chem.byu.edu [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84606 (United States)

2016-11-30

Highlights: • Uniqueness plots are introduced as a new tool for identifying poor XPS peak fits. • Uniqueness plots are demonstrated on real XPS data sets. • A horizontal line in a uniqueness plot indicates a poor fit, i.e., fit parameter correlation. • A parabolic shape in a uniqueness plot indicates that a fit may be appropriate. - Abstract: Peak fitting is an essential part of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) narrow scan analysis, and the Literature contains both good and bad examples of peak fitting. A common cause of poor peak fitting is the inclusion of too many fit parameters, often without a sound chemical and/or physical basis for them, and/or the failure to reasonably constrain them. Under these conditions, fit parameters are often correlated, and therefore lacking in statistical meaning. Here we introduce the uniqueness plot as a simple graphical tool for identifying bad peak fits in XPS, i.e., fit parameter correlation. These plots are widely used in spectroscopic ellipsometry. We illustrate uniqueness plots with two data sets: a C 1s narrow scan from ozone-treated carbon nanotube forests and an Si 2p narrow scan from an air-oxidized silicon wafer. For each fit, we consider different numbers of parameters and constraints on them. As expected, the uniqueness plots are parabolic when fewer fit parameters and/or more constraints are applied. However, they fan out and eventually become horizontal lines as more unconstrained parameters are included in the fits. Uniqueness plots are generated by plotting the chi squared (χ{sup 2}) value for a fit vs. a systematically varied value of a parameter in the fit. The Abbe criterion is also considered as a figure of merit for uniqueness plots in the Supporting Information. We recommend that uniqueness plots be used by XPS practitioners for identifying inappropriate peak fits.

A Constrained Genetic Algorithm with Adaptively Defined Fitness Function in MRS Quantification

Science.gov (United States)

Papakostas, G. A.; Karras, D. A.; Mertzios, B. G.; Graveron-Demilly, D.; van Ormondt, D.

MRS Signal quantification is a rather involved procedure and has attracted the interest of the medical engineering community, regarding the development of computationally efficient methodologies. Significant contributions based on Computational Intelligence tools, such as Neural Networks (NNs), demonstrated a good performance but not without drawbacks already discussed by the authors. On the other hand preliminary application of Genetic Algorithms (GA) has already been reported in the literature by the authors regarding the peak detection problem encountered in MRS quantification using the Voigt line shape model. This paper investigates a novel constrained genetic algorithm involving a generic and adaptively defined fitness function which extends the simple genetic algorithm methodology in case of noisy signals. The applicability of this new algorithm is scrutinized through experimentation in artificial MRS signals interleaved with noise, regarding its signal fitting capabilities. Although extensive experiments with real world MRS signals are necessary, the herein shown performance illustrates the method's potential to be established as a generic MRS metabolites quantification procedure.

When 'fit' leads to fit, and when 'fit' leads to fat: how message framing and intrinsic vs. extrinsic exercise outcomes interact in promoting physical activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, Kristel M; Updegraff, John A

2011-07-01

A unique aspect of exercise is that people may choose to engage in it to achieve a variety of outcomes, ranging from extrinsic (appearance, health) to intrinsic (satisfaction, enjoyment). We examined how the impact of gain- vs. loss-framed messages depends on the type of outcome emphasised. Drawing from regulatory focus theory (Higgins, E.T. (1997). Beyond pleasure and pain. American Psychologist, 52, 1280-1300; Higgins, E.T. (2000). Making a good decision: Value from fit. American Psychologist, 55, 1217-1230), we predicted that gain-framed messages would 'fit' with intrinsic outcomes and loss-framed messages would 'fit' with extrinsic outcomes, but the effect of such fit on physical activity would depend on the participants' need for cognition (NC). We tested these hypotheses with a sample of 176 sedentary young adults who read an exercise message with randomly assigned frame (gain/loss) and outcome (intrinsic/extrinsic). Participants provided daily reports of exercise over the following week. The predicted interaction between frame, outcome and NC was found (p=0.001) such that a 'fit' message promoted somewhat, but not significantly, greater exercise for those with high NC, but a 'non-fit' message promoted significantly greater exercise for those with low NC. Furthermore, differences in physical activity were partially mediated by attitudes towards exercise. Findings shed light on how the outcomes and motivations associated with physical activity shape people's behavioural responses to framed health communications. © 2011 Taylor & Francis

Expanding Brand Personality Congruence to Brand Personality Fit: The Importance of Customer Value Proposition as a Moderating Fit on Brand Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ardi Wirdamulia

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This research demonstrates that brand performance can be enhanced not only through brand personality congruence with customer personality, but also through brand personality fit, namely the moderating fit of customer value proposition to brand personality. Through a study covering 125 brands, the result demonstrates that the moderating fit between brand personality and the different level of customer value proposition positively affects brand performance. Price-quality relationship for attribute-based customer value, self-construal for consequences-based customer value and self-regulatory focus as goal-based customer value are used to test this moderating fit relationship. Other findings show that this moderating fit is strongest toward the brand cognitive performance. Finally, the result of this study suggests marketers to incorporate the brand personality design into their positioning statement so that the overall customer value proposition can be developed in a more integrated manner, leading to higher brand performance

An NCME Instructional Module on Item-Fit Statistics for Item Response Theory Models

Science.gov (United States)

Ames, Allison J.; Penfield, Randall D.

2015-01-01

Drawing valid inferences from item response theory (IRT) models is contingent upon a good fit of the data to the model. Violations of model-data fit have numerous consequences, limiting the usefulness and applicability of the model. This instructional module provides an overview of methods used for evaluating the fit of IRT models. Upon completing…

How Should We Assess the Fit of Rasch-Type Models? Approximating the Power of Goodness-of-Fit Statistics in Categorical Data Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Maydeu-Olivares, Alberto; Montano, Rosa

2013-01-01

We investigate the performance of three statistics, R [subscript 1], R [subscript 2] (Glas in "Psychometrika" 53:525-546, 1988), and M [subscript 2] (Maydeu-Olivares & Joe in "J. Am. Stat. Assoc." 100:1009-1020, 2005, "Psychometrika" 71:713-732, 2006) to assess the overall fit of a one-parameter logistic model…

Does fitness improve the cardiovascular risk profile in obese subjects?

Science.gov (United States)

Halland, H; Lønnebakken, M T; Saeed, S; Midtbø, H; Cramariuc, D; Gerdts, E

2017-06-01

Good cardiorespiratory fitness has been suggested to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in obesity. We explored the association of fitness with the prevalences of major cardiovascular risk factor like hypertension (HT), diabetes and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in overweight and obese subjects. Clinical data from 491 participants in the FAT associated CardiOvasculaR dysfunction (FATCOR) study were analyzed. Physical fitness was assessed by ergospirometry, and subjects with at least good level of performance for age and sex were classified as fit. HT subtypes were identified from clinic and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure in combination. Diabetes was diagnosed by oral glucose tolerance test. MetS was defined by the American Heart Association and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute criteria. The participants were on average 48 years old (60% women), and mean body mass index (BMI) was 32 kg/m 2 . 28% of study participants were classified as fit. Fitness was not associated with lower prevalences of HT or HT subtypes, diabetes, MetS or individual MetS components (all p > 0.05). In multivariable regression analysis, being fit was characterized by lower waist circumference, BMI risk factors like HT, diabetes or MetS. Given the strong association of cardiovascular risk factor burden with risk of clinical cardiovascular disease, these findings challenge the notion that fitness alone is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease in obesity. Copyright © 2017 The Italian Society of Diabetology, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Parametric fitting of data obtained from detectors with finite resolution and limited acceptance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gagunashvili, N.D.

2011-01-01

A goodness-of-fit test for fitting of a parametric model to data obtained from a detector with finite resolution and limited acceptance is proposed. The parameters of the model are found by minimization of a statistic that is used for comparing experimental data and simulated reconstructed data. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate and validate the fitting procedure.

A Global Public Goods Approach to the Health of Migrants.

Science.gov (United States)

Widdows, Heather; Marway, Herjeet

2015-07-01

This paper explores a global public goods approach to the health of migrants. It suggests that this approach establishes that there are a number of health goods which must be provided to migrants not because these are theirs by right (although this may independently be the case), but because these goods are primary goods which fit the threefold criteria of global public goods. There are two key advantages to this approach: first, it is non-confrontational and non-oppositional, and second, it provides self-interested arguments to provide at least some health goods to migrants and thus appeals to those little moved by rights-based arguments.

Public Participation and Institutional Fit: A Social-Psychological Perspective

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Daniel A. DeCaro

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Public participation plays a role in the development and long-term maintenance of environmental institutions that are well-matched to local social-ecological conditions. However, the means by which public participation impacts such institutional fit remains unclear. We argue that one major reason for this lack of clarity is that analysts have not clearly outlined how humankind's sense of agency, or self-determination, influences institutional outcomes. Moreover, the concept of institutional fit is ambiguous as to what constitutes a good fit and how such fit could be diagnosed or improved. This is especially true for "social fit," or how well institutions match human expectations and local behavioral patterns. We develop an interdisciplinary framework based on principles of human agency and institutional analysis from social psychology to address these problems. Using the concept of "institutional acceptance" as an indicator of social fit, we show how analysts can define, diagnose, and improve social fit of participatory programs. We also show how such fit emerges and is sustained over time. This interdisciplinary perspective on fit and participation has important implications for participatory approaches to environmental management and the scientific study of institutional evolution.

The association between physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness and self-rated health

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksen, Louise; Curtis, Tine; Grønbæk, Morten

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the joint association between self-reported physical activity as well as cardiorespiratory fitness and self-rated health among healthy women and men. METHOD: Data from 10,416 participants in The Danish Health Examination Survey 2007-2008 which took part in 13 Danish...... municipalities were analyzed. Leisure time physical activity level and self-rated health were based on self-reported questionnaire data. Optimal self-rated health was defined as "very good" or "good" self-rated health. Cardiorespiratory fitness (mL O2·min(-1)·kg(-1)) was estimated from maximal power output...... in a maximal cycle exercise test. RESULTS: A strong dose-response relation between cardiorespiratory fitness and self-rated health as well as between physical activity level and self-rated health among both women and men was found. Within categories of physical activity, odds ratios for optimal self...

Kinematic Fitting of Detached Vertices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mattione, Paul [Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)

2007-05-01

The eg3 experiment at the Jefferson Lab CLAS detector aims to determine the existence of the $\\Xi_{5}$ pentaquarks and investigate the excited $\\Xi$ states. Specifically, the exotic $\\Xi_{5}^{--}$ pentaquark will be sought by first reconstructing the $\\Xi^{-}$ particle through its weak decays, $\\Xi^{-}\\to\\pi^{-}\\Lambda$ and $\\Lambda\\to\\pi^{-}$. A kinematic fitting routine was developed to reconstruct the detached vertices of these decays, where confidence level cuts on the fits are used to remove background events. Prior to fitting these decays, the exclusive reaction $\\gamma D\\rightarrow pp\\pi^{-}$ was studied in order to correct the track measurements and covariance matrices of the charged particles. The $\\Lambda\\rightarrow p\\pi^{-}$ and $\\Xi^{-}\\to\\pi^{-}\\Lambda$ decays were then investigated to demonstrate that the kinematic fitting routine reconstructs the decaying particles and their detached vertices correctly.

Telemedicine’s potential to support good dying in Nigeria: a qualitative study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Gurp, J.; Soyannwo, O.; Odebunmi, K.; Dania, S.; van Selm, M.; van Leeuwen, E.; Vissers, K.; Hasselaar, J.

2015-01-01

Objectives This qualitative study explores Nigerian health care professionals’ concepts of good dying/a good death and how telemedicine technologies and services would fit the current Nigerian palliative care practice. Materials and Methods Supported by the Centre for Palliative Care Nigeria (CPCN)

An R package for fitting age, period and cohort models

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Adriano Decarli

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present the R implementation of a GLIM macro which fits age-period-cohort model following Osmond and Gardner. In addition to the estimates of the corresponding model, owing to the programming capability of R as an object oriented language, methods for printing, plotting and summarizing the results are provided. Furthermore, the researcher has fully access to the output of the main function (apc which returns all the models fitted within the function. It is so possible to critically evaluate the goodness of fit of the resulting model.

Solving optimization problems by the public goods game

Science.gov (United States)

Javarone, Marco Alberto

2017-09-01

We introduce a method based on the Public Goods Game for solving optimization tasks. In particular, we focus on the Traveling Salesman Problem, i.e. a NP-hard problem whose search space exponentially grows increasing the number of cities. The proposed method considers a population whose agents are provided with a random solution to the given problem. In doing so, agents interact by playing the Public Goods Game using the fitness of their solution as currency of the game. Notably, agents with better solutions provide higher contributions, while those with lower ones tend to imitate the solution of richer agents for increasing their fitness. Numerical simulations show that the proposed method allows to compute exact solutions, and suboptimal ones, in the considered search spaces. As result, beyond to propose a new heuristic for combinatorial optimization problems, our work aims to highlight the potentiality of evolutionary game theory beyond its current horizons.

Method for fitting crystal field parameters and the energy level fitting for Yb3+ in crystal SC2O3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qing-Li, Zhang; Kai-Jie, Ning; Jin, Xiao; Li-Hua, Ding; Wen-Long, Zhou; Wen-Peng, Liu; Shao-Tang, Yin; Hai-He, Jiang

2010-01-01

A method to compute the numerical derivative of eigenvalues of parameterized crystal field Hamiltonian matrix is given, based on the numerical derivatives the general iteration methods such as Levenberg–Marquardt, Newton method, and so on, can be used to solve crystal field parameters by fitting to experimental energy levels. With the numerical eigenvalue derivative, a detailed iteration algorithm to compute crystal field parameters by fitting experimental energy levels has also been described. This method is used to compute the crystal parameters of Yb 3+ in Sc 2 O 3 crystal, which is prepared by a co-precipitation method and whose structure was refined by Rietveld method. By fitting on the parameters of a simple overlap model of crystal field, the results show that the new method can fit the crystal field energy splitting with fast convergence and good stability. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Experimental demonstration of the finite measurement time effect on the Feynman-{alpha} technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallerbos, E.J.M.; Hoogenboom, J.E

1998-09-01

The reactivity of a subcritical system is determined by fitting two different theoretical models to a measured Feynman-{alpha} curve. The first model is the expression usually found in the literature, which can be shown to be the expectation value of the experimental quality if the measurement time is infinite. The second model is a new expression which is the expectation value of the experimental quantity for a finite measurement time. The reactivity inferred with the new model is seen to be independent of the length of the fitting interval, whereas the reactivity inferred with the conventional model is seen to vary. This difference demonstrates the effect of the finite measurement time. As a reference, the reactivity is also measured with the pulsed-neutron source method. It is seen to be in good agreement with the reactivity obtained with the Feynman-{alpha} technique when the new expression is applied.

Radiation exposure from shoe-fitting fluoroscopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Busch, Uwe

2015-01-01

It is 40 years ago that a very popular X-ray device disappeared in German shoe shops: the shoe-fitting fluoroscope or Pedoskop. Since the 1930s, these X-ray machines were an integral part of any good shoe business. Following the entry into force X-Ray Regulation (RoeV 1973) the use of these devices was prohibited in Germany.

Fits combining hyperon semileptonic decays and magnetic moments and CVC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohm, A.; Kielanowski, P.

1982-10-01

We have performed a test of CVC by determining the baryon charges and magnetic moments from the hyperon semileptonic data. Then CVC was applied in order to make a joint fit of all baryon semileptonic decay data and baryon magnetic moments for the spectrum generating group (SG) model as well as for the conventional (cabibbo and magnetic moments in nuclear magnetons) model. The SG model gives a very good fit with chi 2 /n/sub D/ = 25/20 approximately equals 21% C.L. whereas the conventional model gives a fit with chi 2 /n/sub D/ = 244/20

Physical Fitness Component Profiles of Futsal Team Members of Universitas Padjadjaran in November 2011

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Raden Muhammad Tanri

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background: To be a good athlete, an athlete needs to possess good predominant components of physical fitness. Futsal Team of Universitas Padjadjaran has never won any competition. This study was conducted to identify the predominant component profiles of physical fitness of Futsal Team members of Universitas Padjadjaran. The predominant component profiles were classified based on the Indonesian National Sport Committee (KONI standard. Methods: This study was carried out at the Faculty of Medicine Student Center of Universitas Padjadjaran in November 2012. Twenty two members of the Futsal Team were enrolled as subjects of the study. The study used the step test to examine aerobic endurance; the leg dynamometer to measure leg muscle strength; the squat jump test to test the leg muscle endurance; the vertical jump test to measure leg muscle power; and the sit and reach test to measure lower extremity flexibility. The data collected were analyzed using percentage. Results: Leg muscle strength was mostly in the fair category (95%. Leg muscle power was mostly in the good category (41%. Leg muscle endurance was mostly in the good category (82%. Leg flexibility was mostly in the excellent category (91% and aerobic endurance was mostly in the good category (41%. Conclusions: Only several members of Universitas Padjadjaran Futsal Team have an excellent physical fitness profile. Most of the members fell into the fair and good category.

An inter-laboratory comparison of urinary 3-hydroxypropylmercapturic acid measurement demonstrates good reproducibility between laboratories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bailey Brian

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Biomarkers have been used extensively in clinical studies to assess toxicant exposure in smokers and non-smokers and have recently been used in the evaluation of novel tobacco products. The urinary metabolite 3-HPMA, a metabolite of the major tobacco smoke toxicity contributor acrolein, is one example of a biomarker used to measure exposure to tobacco smoke. A number of laboratories have developed liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS based methods to measure urinary 3-HPMA; however, it is unclear to what extent the data obtained by these different laboratories are comparable. Findings This report describes an inter-laboratory comparison carried out to evaluate the comparability of 3-HPMA measurement between four laboratories. A common set of spiked and authentic smoker and non-smoker urine samples were used. Each laboratory used their in-house LC-MS/MS method and a common internal standard. A comparison of the repeatability ('r', reproducibility ('R', and coefficient of variation for 3-HPMA demonstrated that within-laboratory variation was consistently lower than between-laboratory variation. The average inter-laboratory coefficient of variation was 7% for fortified urine samples and 16.2% for authentic urine samples. Together, this represents an inter-laboratory variation of 12.2%. Conclusion The results from this first inter-laboratory comparison for the measurement of 3-HPMA in urine demonstrate a reasonably good consensus between laboratories. However, some consistent measurement biases were still observed between laboratories, suggesting that additional work may be required to further reduce the inter-laboratory coefficient of variation.

Heat Pump Water Heaters and American Homes: A Good Fit?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Franco, Victor; Lekov, Alex; Meyers, Steve; Letschert, Virginie

2010-05-14

Heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) are over twice as energy-efficient as conventional electric resistance water heaters, with the potential to save substantial amounts of electricity. Drawing on analysis conducted for the U.S. Department of Energy's recently-concluded rulemaking on amended standards for water heaters, this paper evaluates key issues that will determine how well, and to what extent, this technology will fit in American homes. The key issues include: 1) equipment cost of HPWHs; 2) cooling of the indoor environment by HPWHs; 3) size and air flow requirements of HPWHs; 4) performance of HPWH under different climate conditions and varying hot water use patterns; and 5) operating cost savings under different electricity prices and hot water use. The paper presents the results of a life-cycle cost analysis of the adoption of HPWHs in a representative sample of American homes, as well as national impact analysis for different market share scenarios. Assuming equipment costs that would result from high production volume, the results show that HPWHs can be cost effective in all regions for most single family homes, especially when the water heater is not installed in a conditioned space. HPWHs are not cost effective for most manufactured home and multi-family installations, due to lower average hot water use and the water heater in the majority of cases being installed in conditioned space, where cooling of the indoor environment and size and air flow requirements of HPWHs increase installation costs.

Inferring genetic interactions from comparative fitness data.

Science.gov (United States)

Crona, Kristina; Gavryushkin, Alex; Greene, Devin; Beerenwinkel, Niko

2017-12-20

Darwinian fitness is a central concept in evolutionary biology. In practice, however, it is hardly possible to measure fitness for all genotypes in a natural population. Here, we present quantitative tools to make inferences about epistatic gene interactions when the fitness landscape is only incompletely determined due to imprecise measurements or missing observations. We demonstrate that genetic interactions can often be inferred from fitness rank orders, where all genotypes are ordered according to fitness, and even from partial fitness orders. We provide a complete characterization of rank orders that imply higher order epistasis. Our theory applies to all common types of gene interactions and facilitates comprehensive investigations of diverse genetic interactions. We analyzed various genetic systems comprising HIV-1, the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium vivax , the fungus Aspergillus niger , and the TEM-family of β-lactamase associated with antibiotic resistance. For all systems, our approach revealed higher order interactions among mutations.

Physical Activity Enhances Metabolic Fitness Independently of Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Marathon Runners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. J. Laye

2015-01-01

Full Text Available High levels of cardiovascular fitness (CRF and physical activity (PA are associated with decreased mortality and risk to develop metabolic diseases. The independent contributions of CRF and PA to metabolic disease risk factors are unknown. We tested the hypothesis that runners who run consistently >50 km/wk and/or >2 marathons/yr for the last 5 years have superior metabolic fitness compared to matched sedentary subjects (CRF, age, gender, and BMI. Case-control recruitment of 31 pairs of runner-sedentary subjects identified 10 matched pairs with similar VO2max (mL/min/kg (similar-VO2max. The similar-VO2max group was compared with a group of age, gender, and BMI matched pairs who had the largest difference in VO2max (different-VO2max. Primary outcomes that defined metabolic fitness including insulin response to an oral glucose tolerance test, fasting lipids, and fasting insulin were superior in runners versus sedentary controls despite similar VO2max. Furthermore, performance (velocity at VO2max, running economy, improved exercise metabolism (lactate threshold, and skeletal muscle levels of mitochondrial proteins were superior in runners versus sedentary controls with similar VO2max. In conclusion subjects with a high amount of PA have more positive metabolic health parameters independent of CRF. PA is thus a good marker against metabolic diseases.

Fitness

Science.gov (United States)

... gov home http://www.girlshealth.gov/ Home Fitness Fitness Want to look and feel your best? Physical ... are? Check out this info: What is physical fitness? top Physical fitness means you can do everyday ...

Selecting and Hiring Psychologically Fit Probation Officers: A Focused Examination of the PEPQ / PSR Plus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Don Scott Herrmann

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Selecting and hiring the most psychologically fit probation officers is of utmost importance to the judiciary, court administration and the public good.  This study examined the predictive validity of the PsychEval Personality Questionnaire / Protective Service Report Plus (PEPQ / PSR Plus in its ability to predict job performance in a combined cohort of preemployment and incumbent probation officer candidates.  Analyses revealed a statistically significant ability to predict performance problems, demonstrating that the PEPQ / PRS Plus is a valid and clinically useful psychological screening tool for the assessment and selection of probation officer candidates.

Pre-processing by data augmentation for improved ellipse fitting.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Pankaj; Belchamber, Erika R; Miklavcic, Stanley J

2018-01-01

Ellipse fitting is a highly researched and mature topic. Surprisingly, however, no existing method has thus far considered the data point eccentricity in its ellipse fitting procedure. Here, we introduce the concept of eccentricity of a data point, in analogy with the idea of ellipse eccentricity. We then show empirically that, irrespective of ellipse fitting method used, the root mean square error (RMSE) of a fit increases with the eccentricity of the data point set. The main contribution of the paper is based on the hypothesis that if the data point set were pre-processed to strategically add additional data points in regions of high eccentricity, then the quality of a fit could be improved. Conditional validity of this hypothesis is demonstrated mathematically using a model scenario. Based on this confirmation we propose an algorithm that pre-processes the data so that data points with high eccentricity are replicated. The improvement of ellipse fitting is then demonstrated empirically in real-world application of 3D reconstruction of a plant root system for phenotypic analysis. The degree of improvement for different underlying ellipse fitting methods as a function of data noise level is also analysed. We show that almost every method tested, irrespective of whether it minimizes algebraic error or geometric error, shows improvement in the fit following data augmentation using the proposed pre-processing algorithm.

Does childhood motor skill proficiency predict adolescent fitness?

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, Lisa M; Van Beurden, Eric; Morgan, Philip J; Brooks, Lyndon O; Beard, John R

2008-12-01

To determine whether childhood fundamental motor skill proficiency predicts subsequent adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness. In 2000, children's proficiency in a battery of skills was assessed as part of an elementary school-based intervention. Participants were followed up during 2006/2007 as part of the Physical Activity and Skills Study, and cardiorespiratory fitness was measured using the Multistage Fitness Test. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between childhood fundamental motor skill proficiency and adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness controlling for gender. Composite object control (kick, catch, throw) and locomotor skill (hop, side gallop, vertical jump) were constructed for analysis. A separate linear regression examined the ability of the sprint run to predict cardiorespiratory fitness. Of the 928 original intervention participants, 481 were in 28 schools, 276 (57%) of whom were assessed. Two hundred and forty-four students (88.4%) completed the fitness test. One hundred and twenty-seven were females (52.1%), 60.1% of whom were in grade 10 and 39.0% were in grade 11. As children, almost all 244 completed each motor assessments, except for the sprint run (n = 154, 55.8%). The mean composite skill score in 2000 was 17.7 (SD 5.1). In 2006/2007, the mean number of laps on the Multistage Fitness Test was 50.5 (SD 24.4). Object control proficiency in childhood, adjusting for gender (P = 0.000), was associated with adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness (P = 0.012), accounting for 26% of fitness variation. Children with good object control skills are more likely to become fit adolescents. Fundamental motor skill development in childhood may be an important component of interventions aiming to promote long-term fitness.

Hamiltonian inclusive fitness: a fitter fitness concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, James T

2013-01-01

In 1963-1964 W. D. Hamilton introduced the concept of inclusive fitness, the only significant elaboration of Darwinian fitness since the nineteenth century. I discuss the origin of the modern fitness concept, providing context for Hamilton's discovery of inclusive fitness in relation to the puzzle of altruism. While fitness conceptually originates with Darwin, the term itself stems from Spencer and crystallized quantitatively in the early twentieth century. Hamiltonian inclusive fitness, with Price's reformulation, provided the solution to Darwin's 'special difficulty'-the evolution of caste polymorphism and sterility in social insects. Hamilton further explored the roles of inclusive fitness and reciprocation to tackle Darwin's other difficulty, the evolution of human altruism. The heuristically powerful inclusive fitness concept ramified over the past 50 years: the number and diversity of 'offspring ideas' that it has engendered render it a fitter fitness concept, one that Darwin would have appreciated.

Association Between Aerobic Fitness And High Blood Pressure in Adolescents in Brazil: Evidence for Criterion-Referenced Cut-Points.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Diego Augusto; Tremblay, Mark; Pelegrini, Andreia; Dos Santos Silva, Roberto Jeronimo; Cabral de Oliveira, Antonio Cesar; Petroski, Edio Luiz

2016-05-01

Criterion-referenced cut-points for health-related fitness measures are lacking. This study aimed to determine the associations between aerobic fitness and high blood pressure levels (HBP) to determine the cut-points that best predict HBP among adolescents. This cross-sectional school-based study with sample of 875 adolescents aged 14-19 years was conducted in southern Brazil. Aerobic fitness was assessed using the modified Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test (mCAFT). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured by the oscillometric method with a digital sphygmomanometer. Analyses controlled for sociodemographic variables, physical activity, body mass and biological maturation. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves demonstrated that mCAFT measures could discriminate HBP in both sexes (female: AUC = 0.70; male: AUC = 0.63). The cut-points with the best discriminatory power for HBP were 32 mL·kg-1·min-1 for females and 40 mL·kg-1·min-1 for males. Females (OR = 8.4; 95% CI: 2.1, 33.7) and males (OR: 2.5; CI 95%: 1.2, 5.2) with low aerobic fitness levels were more likely to have HBP. mCAFT measures are inversely associated with BP and cut-points from ROC analyses have good discriminatory power for HBP.

Feeling right is feeling good: Psychological well-being and emotional fit with culture in autonomy- versus relatedness-promoting situations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jozefien eDe Leersnyder

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The current research tested the idea that it is the cultural fit of emotions, rather than certain emotions per se, that predicts psychological well-being. We reasoned that emotional fit in the domains of life that afford the realization of central cultural mandates would be particularly important to psychological well-being. We tested this hypothesis with samples from three cultural contexts that are known to differ with respect to their main cultural mandates: a European American (N = 30, a Korean (N = 80, and a Belgian sample (N = 266. Cultural fit was measured by comparing an individual’s patterns of emotions to the average cultural pattern for the same type of situation on the Emotional Patterns Questionnaire (De Leersnyder, Mesquita, & Kim, 2011. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found evidence for universality without uniformity: In each sample, psychological well-being was associated with emotional fit in the domain that was key to the cultural mandate. However, cultures varied with regard to the particular domain involved. Psychological well-being was predicted by emotional fit a in autonomy-promoting situations at work in the U.S., b in relatedness-promoting situations at home in Korea, and c in both autonomy-promoting and relatedness-promoting situations in Belgium. These findings show that the experience of culturally appropriate patterns of emotions contributes to psychological well-being. One interpretation is that experiencing appropriate emotions is itself a realization of the cultural mandates.

Feeling right is feeling good: psychological well-being and emotional fit with culture in autonomy- versus relatedness-promoting situations.

Science.gov (United States)

De Leersnyder, Jozefien; Kim, Heejung; Mesquita, Batja

2015-01-01

The current research tested the idea that it is the cultural fit of emotions, rather than certain emotions per se, that predicts psychological well-being. We reasoned that emotional fit in the domains of life that afford the realization of central cultural mandates would be particularly important to psychological well-being. We tested this hypothesis with samples from three cultural contexts that are known to differ with respect to their main cultural mandates: a European American (N = 30), a Korean (N = 80), and a Belgian sample (N = 266). Cultural fit was measured by comparing an individual's patterns of emotions to the average cultural pattern for the same type of situation on the Emotional Patterns Questionnaire (De Leersnyder et al., 2011). Consistent with our hypothesis, we found evidence for "universality without uniformity": in each sample, psychological well-being was associated with emotional fit in the domain that was key to the cultural mandate. However, cultures varied with regard to the particular domain involved. Psychological well-being was predicted by emotional fit (a) in autonomy-promoting situations at work in the U.S., (b) in relatedness-promoting situations at home in Korea, and (c) in both autonomy-promoting and relatedness-promoting situations in Belgium. These findings show that the experience of culturally appropriate patterns of emotions contributes to psychological well-being. One interpretation is that experiencing appropriate emotions is itself a realization of the cultural mandates.

Fitness Estimation Based Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Layout Design of Truss Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayang Xiao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Due to the fact that vastly different variables and constraints are simultaneously considered, truss layout optimization is a typical difficult constrained mixed-integer nonlinear program. Moreover, the computational cost of truss analysis is often quite expensive. In this paper, a novel fitness estimation based particle swarm optimization algorithm with an adaptive penalty function approach (FEPSO-AP is proposed to handle this problem. FEPSO-AP adopts a special fitness estimate strategy to evaluate the similar particles in the current population, with the purpose to reduce the computational cost. Further more, a laconic adaptive penalty function is employed by FEPSO-AP, which can handle multiple constraints effectively by making good use of historical iteration information. Four benchmark examples with fixed topologies and up to 44 design dimensions were studied to verify the generality and efficiency of the proposed algorithm. Numerical results of the present work compared with results of other state-of-the-art hybrid algorithms shown in the literature demonstrate that the convergence rate and the solution quality of FEPSO-AP are essentially competitive.

Experimental demonstration of the fitness consequences of an introduced parasite of Darwin's finches.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer A H Koop

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Introduced parasites are a particular threat to small populations of hosts living on islands because extinction can occur before hosts have a chance to evolve effective defenses. An experimental approach in which parasite abundance is manipulated in the field can be the most informative means of assessing a parasite's impact on the host. The parasitic fly Philornis downsi, recently introduced to the Galápagos Islands, feeds on nestling Darwin's finches and other land birds. Several correlational studies, and one experimental study of mixed species over several years, reported that the flies reduce host fitness. Here we report the results of a larger scale experimental study of a single species at a single site over a single breeding season.We manipulated the abundance of flies in the nests of medium ground finches (Geospiza fortis and quantified the impact of the parasites on nestling growth and fledging success. We used nylon nest liners to reduce the number of parasites in 24 nests, leaving another 24 nests as controls. A significant reduction in mean parasite abundance led to a significant increase in the number of nests that successfully fledged young. Nestlings in parasite-reduced nests also tended to be larger prior to fledging.Our results confirm that P. downsi has significant negative effects on the fitness of medium ground finches, and they may pose a serious threat to other species of Darwin's finches. These data can help in the design of management plans for controlling P. downsi in Darwin's finch breeding populations.

Physical Fitness Measures Among Adolescents With High and Low Motor Competence

OpenAIRE

Gísladóttir, Þórdís; Haga, Monika; Sigmundsson, Hermundur

2013-01-01

Physical fitness level is considered to yield substantial health benefits. Earlier studies have demonstrated poor physical fitness outcomes and reduced level of physical activity among adolescents. There have been very few studies on adolescents concerning motor competence and its possible relationship with physical fitness. This study’s aim was to compare physical fitness in adolescents aged 15 to 16 years with high (...

Good Practice Policy Framework for Energy Technology Research Development and Demonstration (RD and D)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

The transition to a low carbon economy clearly requires accelerating energy innovation and technology adoption. Governments have an important role in this context. They can help by establishing the enabling environment in which innovation can thrive, and within which effective and efficient policies can be identified, with the specific goal of advancing research, development, demonstration and, ultimately, deployment (RDD&D) of clean energy technologies. At the front end of the innovation process, significant increases in, and restructuring of, global RD&D efforts will be required, combined with well-targeted government RD&D policies. The development of a clear policy framework for energy technology RD&D, based on good practices, should include six elements: Coherent energy RD&D strategy and priorities; Adequate government RD&D funding and policy support; Co-ordinated energy RD&D governance; Strong collaborative approach, engaging industry through public private partnerships (PPPs); Effective RD&D monitoring and evaluation; and Strategic international collaboration. While countries have been favouring certain technologies over others, based on decisions on which areas are to receive funding, clear priorities are not always determined through structured analysis and documented processes. A review of stated energy RD&D priorities, based on announced technology programmes and strategies, and recent spending trends reveals some important deviations from stated priorities and actual RD&D funding.

Fit for Duty?: Evaluating the Physical Fitness Requirements of Battlefield Airmen.

Science.gov (United States)

Sean, Robson; Maria C, Lytell; Carra S, Sims; Stephanie, Pezard; Thomas, Manacapilli; Amanda, Anderson; Therese, Bohusch; Abigail, Haddad

2018-01-01

Military occupations can be physically demanding, yet few attempts have been made to determine the physical readiness of today's airmen to perform their jobs. Although the Air Force conducts fitness testing of all its airmen, these tests and standards are not based on validated job requirements. As part of a broader Air Force effort to measure the physical readiness of airmen to perform their jobs, this study describes a methodology for establishing physical fitness standards for four physically demanding Air Force occupational specialties-combat controller, pararescue, special operations weather team, and tactical air control party. Airmen in these specialties are collectively known as battlefield airmen. The authors sought to identify the physically demanding tasks required of battlefield airmen and ways in which fitness standards might be established to ensure that individuals in these specialties are able to perform these tasks. They reviewed the research literature and relevant military documents, conducted focus groups and interviews with battlefield airmen and other subject matter experts, and analyzed the movement patterns and physical abilities associated with each task. They found a high demand across the four specialities for strength and muscular and cardiovascular endurance, followed by agility, anaerobic power, and equilibrium, whereas they found flexibility to be less critically important. The authors recommend that a validation study be conducted next, to (a) ensure that tests measure important physical abilities required for successful mission or job performance, (b) ensure that performance on tests is a good indicator of mission or job performance, and (c) identify minimum test standards that are associated with acceptable mission or job performance.

Validity of the International Fitness Scale "IFIS" in older adults.

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Merellano-Navarro, Eugenio; Collado-Mateo, Daniel; García-Rubio, Javier; Gusi, Narcís; Olivares, Pedro R

2017-09-01

To validate the "International Fitness Scale" (IFIS) in older adults. Firstly, cognitive interviews were performed to ensure that the questionnaire was comprehensive for older Chilean adults. After that, a transversal study of 401 institutionalized and non-institutionalized older adults from Maule region in Chile was conducted. A battery of validated fitness tests for this population was used in order to compare the responses obtained in the IFIS with the objectively measured fitness performance (back scratch, chair sit-and-reach, handgrip, 30-s chair stand, timed up-and-go and 6-min walking). Indicated that IFIS presented a high compliance in the comprehension of the items which defined it, and it was able of categorizing older adults according to their measured physical fitness levels. The analysis of covariance ANCOVA adjusted by sex and age showed a concordance between IFIS and the score in physical fitness tests. Based on the results of this study, IFIS questionnaire is a good alternative to assess physical fitness in older adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Energetic fitness: Field metabolic rates assessed via 3D accelerometry complement conventional fitness metrics

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Grémillet, David; Lescroël, Amelie; Ballard, Grant; Dugger, Katie M.; Massaro, Melanie; Porzig, Elizabeth L.; Ainley, David G.

2018-01-01

Evaluating the fitness of organisms is an essential step towards understanding their responses to environmental change. Connections between energy expenditure and fitness have been postulated for nearly a century. However, testing this premise among wild animals is constrained by difficulties in measuring energy expenditure while simultaneously monitoring conventional fitness metrics such as survival and reproductive output.We addressed this issue by exploring the functional links between field metabolic rate (FMR), body condition, sex, age and reproductive performance in a wild population.We deployed 3D accelerometers on 115 Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae during four breeding seasons at one of the largest colonies of this species, Cape Crozier, on Ross Island, Antarctica. The demography of this population has been studied for the past 18 years. From accelerometry recordings, collected for birds of known age and breeding history, we determined the vector of the dynamic body acceleration (VeDBA) and used it as a proxy for FMR.This allowed us to demonstrate relationships among FMR, a breeding quality index (BQI) and body condition. Notably, we found a significant quadratic relationship between mean VeDBA during foraging and BQI for experienced breeders, and individuals in better body condition showed lower rates of energy expenditure.We conclude that using FMR as a fitness component complementary to more conventional fitness metrics will yield greater understanding of evolutionary and conservation physiology.

The Inverse Relationship between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Intima-Media Thickness with Prehypertensive Middle-Aged Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dokyung; Park, Wonhah

2017-12-01

Individuals with prehypertension have a greater risk of developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease than those with normal blood pressure. Good cardiorespiratory fitness has been associated with a reduced risk for cardiovascular diseases, but whether it is related to slower progression of early atherosclerosis is unclear. We evaluated 442 women, aged 40-60 years, with resting systolic blood pressure 120-139 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure 80-89 mmHg, defined as prehypertension in cross-sectional study. Blood glucose, blood lipids and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) were measured at rest. Cardiorespiratory fitness (VO 2 peak) was measured by respiratory gas exchange during a treadmill exercise test. Participants were divided into three cardiorespiratory fitness levels: low, moderate, and high. The prevalence of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis was defined as a mean carotid intima-media thickness greater than the 75 th percentile. After adjustment for various confounders, a high cardiorespiratory fitness level was associated with significantly lower SBP, DBP and CIMT compared with low and moderate fitness (p fitness were each associated with significantly lower odds ratios for carotid atherosclerosis 0.74 (95% CI 0.45-0.92) and 0.70 (95% CI 0.46-0.95), respectively, compared with low fitness. Our results indicate that good cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with a slower progression of early atherosclerosis in middle-aged women. These findings are important, because they emphasize that middle-aged women can be evaluated for cardiorespiratory fitness to estimate their future risk for atherosclerotic vascular diseases.

Local fit evaluation of structural equation models using graphical criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Thoemmes, Felix; Rosseel, Yves; Textor, Johannes

2018-03-01

Evaluation of model fit is critically important for every structural equation model (SEM), and sophisticated methods have been developed for this task. Among them are the χ² goodness-of-fit test, decomposition of the χ², derived measures like the popular root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) or comparative fit index (CFI), or inspection of residuals or modification indices. Many of these methods provide a global approach to model fit evaluation: A single index is computed that quantifies the fit of the entire SEM to the data. In contrast, graphical criteria like d-separation or trek-separation allow derivation of implications that can be used for local fit evaluation, an approach that is hardly ever applied. We provide an overview of local fit evaluation from the viewpoint of SEM practitioners. In the presence of model misfit, local fit evaluation can potentially help in pinpointing where the problem with the model lies. For models that do fit the data, local tests can identify the parts of the model that are corroborated by the data. Local tests can also be conducted before a model is fitted at all, and they can be used even for models that are globally underidentified. We discuss appropriate statistical local tests, and provide applied examples. We also present novel software in R that automates this type of local fit evaluation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Development of Android Application for Measuring Cardiovascular Endurance Fitness for Military Cadet Officers

Science.gov (United States)

Kassim, Mohar; Zaidi, Ahmad Mujahid Ahmad; Sholihin Mokhtar, Rahmat

2018-05-01

Mobile software application has become a part of today’s lifestyle. This mobile app is designed to help society to be physically active. The application is named UPNM Cardio Fitness, and is developed on the Android platform. The original purpose of the application is to measure and analyse the level of cardiovascular fitness of 18 years old male Military cadet Officers through a 2.4 km run test. The application is based on a data base using Google Fusion Table that stores and analyses the data received. The application consists of two parts: information of the individual and their respective fitness norms that can be accessed either automatically or manually. The classification of the norms is obtained from the fitness norms of 120 male cadets aged 18 years old. The norms are grouped into five categories which are: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Moderate and Poor. The software consists of 5 hyperlinks which are the main page, individual information, test result, file and record. The application is created using MIT App Inventor Software and Windows 7. The creation of the application has enabled researchers particularly in the Science Training programme in UPNM to carry out tests as well as to identify the level of fitness of their trainees immediately, accurately, and systematically.

The ethics of big data as a public good: which public? Whose good?

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Linnet

2016-12-28

International development and humanitarian organizations are increasingly calling for digital data to be treated as a public good because of its value in supplementing scarce national statistics and informing interventions, including in emergencies. In response to this claim, a 'responsible data' movement has evolved to discuss guidelines and frameworks that will establish ethical principles for data sharing. However, this movement is not gaining traction with those who hold the highest-value data, particularly mobile network operators who are proving reluctant to make data collected in low- and middle-income countries accessible through intermediaries. This paper evaluates how the argument for 'data as a public good' fits with the corporate reality of big data, exploring existing models for data sharing. I draw on the idea of corporate data as an ecosystem involving often conflicting rights, duties and claims, in comparison to the utilitarian claim that data's humanitarian value makes it imperative to share them. I assess the power dynamics implied by the idea of data as a public good, and how differing incentives lead actors to adopt particular ethical positions with regard to the use of data.This article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical impact of data science'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Virtual goods recommendations in virtual worlds.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kuan-Yu; Liao, Hsiu-Yu; Chen, Jyun-Hung; Liu, Duen-Ren

2015-01-01

Virtual worlds (VWs) are computer-simulated environments which allow users to create their own virtual character as an avatar. With the rapidly growing user volume in VWs, platform providers launch virtual goods in haste and stampede users to increase sales revenue. However, the rapidity of development incurs virtual unrelated items which will be difficult to remarket. It not only wastes virtual global companies' intelligence resources, but also makes it difficult for users to find suitable virtual goods fit for their virtual home in daily virtual life. In the VWs, users decorate their houses, visit others' homes, create families, host parties, and so forth. Users establish their social life circles through these activities. This research proposes a novel virtual goods recommendation method based on these social interactions. The contact strength and contact influence result from interactions with social neighbors and influence users' buying intention. Our research highlights the importance of social interactions in virtual goods recommendation. The experiment's data were retrieved from an online VW platform, and the results show that the proposed method, considering social interactions and social life circle, has better performance than existing recommendation methods.

Emotional fit with culture: a predictor of individual differences in relational well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

De Leersnyder, Jozefien; Mesquita, Batja; Kim, Heejung; Eom, Kimin; Choi, Hyewon

2014-04-01

There is increasing evidence for emotional fit in couples and groups, but also within cultures. In the current research, we investigated the consequences of emotional fit at the cultural level. Given that emotions reflect people's view on the world, and that shared views are associated with good social relationships, we expected that an individual's fit to the average cultural patterns of emotion would be associated with relational well-being. Using an implicit measure of cultural fit of emotions, we found across 3 different cultural contexts (United States, Belgium, and Korea) that (1) individuals' emotional fit is associated with their level of relational well-being, and that (2) the link between emotional fit and relational well-being is particularly strong when emotional fit is measured for situations pertaining to relationships (rather than for situations that are self-focused). Together, the current studies suggest that people may benefit from emotionally "fitting in" to their culture.

Testing the goodness of fit of selected infiltration models on soils with different land use histories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mbagwu, J.S.C.

1993-10-01

Six infiltration models, some obtained by reformulating the fitting parameters of the classical Kostiakov (1932) and Philip (1957) equations, were investigated for their ability to describe water infiltration into highly permeable sandy soils from the Nsukka plains of SE Nigeria. The models were Kostiakov, Modified Kostiakov (A), Modified Kostiakov (B), Philip, Modified Philip (A) and Modified Philip (B). Infiltration data were obtained from double ring infiltrometers on field plots established on a Knadic Paleustult (Nkpologu series) to investigate the effects of land use on soil properties and maize yield. The treatments were; (i) tilled-mulched (TM), (ii) tilled-unmulched (TU), (iii) untilled-mulched (UM), (iv) untilled-unmulched (UU) and (v) continuous pasture (CP). Cumulative infiltration was highest on the TM and lowest on the CP plots. All estimated model parameters obtained by the best fit of measured data differed significantly among the treatments. Based on the magnitude of R 2 values, the Kostiakov, Modified Kostiakov (A), Philip and Modified Philip (A) models provided best predictions of cumulative infiltration as a function of time. Comparing experimental with model-predicted cumulative infiltration showed, however, that on all treatments the values predicted by the classical Kostiakov, Philip and Modified Philip (A) models deviated most from experimental data. The other models produced values that agreed very well with measured data. Considering the eases of determining the fitting parameters it is proposed that on soils with high infiltration rates, either Modified Kostiakov model (I = Kt a + Ict) or Modified Philip model (I St 1/2 + Ict), (where I is cumulative infiltration, K, the time coefficient, t, time elapsed, 'a' the time exponent, Ic the equilibrium infiltration rate and S, the soil water sorptivity), be used for routine characterization of the infiltration process. (author). 33 refs, 3 figs 6 tabs

[The importance of physical activity and fitness for human health].

Science.gov (United States)

Brandes, M

2012-01-01

The decline of physical activity is considered to play an important role in the deterioration of health predictors, such as overweight, and the associated increase of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Therefore, most interventional strategies aim for increasing physical activity. Instead of physical activity, some studies use physical fitness as a key variable. Though physical fitness is influenced by genetic factors, physical fitness has to be developed by physical activity. As recent reports demonstrate the prospective associations between physical fitness and health and mortality, these associations are not reported for physical activity. Due to the fact that physical fitness-in contrast to physical activity-is evaluated with standardized laboratory measurements, it appears advisable to assess physical fitness for prospective health perspectives. Although physical fitness is determined by genetics, physical activity is the primary modifiable determinant for increasing physical fitness and should be aimed for to improve physical fitness in interventional strategies.

Strong inverse association between physical fitness and overweight in adolescents: a large school-based survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Auguste Robert

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies examining the relationship between physical fitness and obesity in children have had mixed results despite their interrelationship making intuitive sense. We examined the relationship between physical fitness and overweight and obesity in a large sample of adolescents in the Republic of Seychelles (Indian Ocean, African region. Methods All students of four grades of all secondary schools performed nine physical fitness tests. These tests assessed agility, strength and endurance, and included the multistage shuttle run, a validated measure of maximal oxygen uptake. Weight and height were measured, body mass index (BMI calculated, and "overweight" and "obesity" were defined based on the criteria of the International Obesity Task Force. We defined "lean" weight as age- and sex-specific BMI th percentile. Age- and sex-specific percentiles for each fitness test were calculated. "Good" performance was defined as a result ≥75th percentile. Results Data were available in 2203 boys and 2143 girls from a total of 4599 eligible students aged 12–15 years. The prevalence of overweight (including obesity was 11.2% (95% confidence interval: 9.9–12.4 in boys and 17.5% (15.9–19.1 in girls. For 7 of the 9 tests, the relationship between BMI and fitness score, as assessed by locally weighted regression, was characterized by a marked inverse J shape. Students with normal body weight achieved "good" performance markedly more often than overweight or obese students on 7 of the 9 tests of fitness and more often than lean children. For example, good performance for the multistage shuttle run was achieved by 25.6% (SE: 2.1 of lean students, 29.6% (0.8 of normal weight students, 7.9% (1.3 of overweight students and 1.2% (0.9 of obese students. Conclusion This cross-sectional study shows a strong inverse relationship between fitness and excess body weight in adolescents. Improving fitness in adolescents, likely through increasing

Exploiting the Adaptation Dynamics to Predict the Distribution of Beneficial Fitness Effects.

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Sona John

Full Text Available Adaptation of asexual populations is driven by beneficial mutations and therefore the dynamics of this process, besides other factors, depends on the distribution of beneficial fitness effects. It is known that on uncorrelated fitness landscapes, this distribution can only be of three types: truncated, exponential and power law. We performed extensive stochastic simulations to study the adaptation dynamics on rugged fitness landscapes, and identified two quantities that can be used to distinguish the underlying distribution of beneficial fitness effects. The first quantity studied here is the fitness difference between successive mutations that spread in the population, which is found to decrease in the case of truncated distributions, remains nearly a constant for exponentially decaying distributions and increases when the fitness distribution decays as a power law. The second quantity of interest, namely, the rate of change of fitness with time also shows quantitatively different behaviour for different beneficial fitness distributions. The patterns displayed by the two aforementioned quantities are found to hold good for both low and high mutation rates. We discuss how these patterns can be exploited to determine the distribution of beneficial fitness effects in microbial experiments.

76 FR 25521 - National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, 2011

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-05

... in our Nation's health and wellness. Participation in sports can strengthen both body and mind, and... live a healthy lifestyle. Through the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, my.... Regular physical activity and good nutrition are essential to staying healthy. A balanced diet and...

Physical activity and enhanced fitness to improve cognitive function in older people without known cognitive impairment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Angevaren, Maaike; Aufdemkampe, Geert; Verhaar, H. J. J.; Aleman, A.; Vanhees, Luc

2008-01-01

Background Physical activity is beneficial for healthy ageing. It may also help maintain good cognitive function in older age. Aerobic activity improves cardiovascular fitness, but it is not known whether this sort of fitness is necessary for improved cognitive function. Studies in which activity,

Rules for the certification of good practices in clinical laboratories. No regulation. 3-2009. Good Laboratory Practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

Regulation for Certification of Good Practices in clinical laboratories, hereinafter Regulation establishes the methodology and procedures for clinical laboratories to demonstrate their state of compliance with good practices, according to Regulation 3-2009, and that the CECMED can verify.

Long-range analysis of density fitting in extended systems

Science.gov (United States)

Varga, Scarontefan

Density fitting scheme is analyzed for the Coulomb problem in extended systems from the correctness of long-range behavior point of view. We show that for the correct cancellation of divergent long-range Coulomb terms it is crucial for the density fitting scheme to reproduce the overlap matrix exactly. It is demonstrated that from all possible fitting metric choices the Coulomb metric is the only one which inherently preserves the overlap matrix for infinite systems with translational periodicity. Moreover, we show that by a small additional effort any non-Coulomb metric fit can be made overlap-preserving as well. The problem is analyzed for both ordinary and Poisson basis set choices.

Differentiating and evaluating common good and public good: making implicit assumptions explicit in the contexts of consent and duty to participate.

Science.gov (United States)

Bialobrzeski, A; Ried, J; Dabrock, P

2012-01-01

The notions 'common good' and 'public good' are mostly used as synonyms in bioethical discussion of biobanks, but have different origins. As a consequence, they should be applied differently. In this article, the respective characteristics are worked out and then subsequently examined which consent models emerge from them. Distinguishing normative and descriptive traits of both concepts, it turns out that one concept is unjustly used, and that the other one fits better to the context of a plural society. A reflected use of these differing concepts may help to choose an appropriate form of consent and allows public trust in biobank research to deepen. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

VISUAL ART AND REGULATORY FIT MESSAGES ON CONSUMER EVALUATIONS

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Danielle Mantovani

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, we demonstrate that the art infusion effect, in which the presence of visual art causes a positive impact on consumers’ perceptions of products and advertising messages, might have a moderation effect on regulatory fit and non-fit messages. We investigate the impact of visual art on advertisement evaluations in regulatory (non- fit conditions. Regulatory focus theory suggests that consumers rely on their motivational focus (prevention vs. promotion for their evaluations and decisions. Usually, consumers prefer products that fit with their personal motivational focus. In the present study, the results of three experiments indicate that using visual art with a promotion or prevention fit message is recommended, while non-art images increase message persuasiveness when non-fit messages are presented. Therefore, not all information compatible with the consumer’s motivational focus are best evaluated. When non-art images are presented, non-fit messages might be more persuasive.

Wybrane aspekty pracy zawodowej instruktorów fitness = Chosen aspects of professional work of fitness instructors

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Paweł Fryderyk Nowak

2016-05-01

instructors' work and trainers - based on their opinion and their employers in wellness&fitness sector was the main objective of this article. The characteristics of employment, awareness to work, competencies valued in this work and job satisfaction was specified in this thesis. Material and methods Fitness instructors (144 and 36 employers - managers or owners of fitness clubs - were researched using author's survey questionnaire as a research tool. Results Majority young people perform a job coach, fitness instructor (85% of them are below 35. In this profession a high employee turnover is observed, evidenced by the short length of service of instructors - 77.8% of the respondents are working in this sector less than 2 years. More than 90% of examined fitness instructors hold a university degree (bachelor or master. Only 8,33% of instructors are employed under a contract of employment. According to the fitness sector employers the most important goal of instructor's work is creating long-term relationships with clients. With the aim of the work, thus understood, identifying the most youngest workers, with short work experience. Employers submit hard competencies over the personality traits of employees in fitness sector. The most important predispositions to the profession, in the opinion of the instructors, are charisma and good communication skills. Conclusions Professional position of fitness trainers and instructors is highly instable, it is rather a kind of surplus job. This situation does not encourage professional development or identification of employees with the workplace.

Nonlinear models for fitting growth curves of Nellore cows reared in the Amazon Biome

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Kedma Nayra da Silva Marinho

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Growth curves of Nellore cows were estimated by comparing six nonlinear models: Brody, Logistic, two alternatives by Gompertz, Richards and Von Bertalanffy. The models were fitted to weight-age data, from birth to 750 days of age of 29,221 cows, born between 1976 and 2006 in the Brazilian states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins. The models were fitted by the Gauss-Newton method. The goodness of fit of the models was evaluated by using mean square error, adjusted coefficient of determination, prediction error and mean absolute error. Biological interpretation of parameters was accomplished by plotting estimated weights versus the observed weight means, instantaneous growth rate, absolute maturity rate, relative instantaneous growth rate, inflection point and magnitude of the parameters A (asymptotic weight and K (maturing rate. The Brody and Von Bertalanffy models fitted the weight-age data but the other models did not. The average weight (A and growth rate (K were: 384.6±1.63 kg and 0.0022±0.00002 (Brody and 313.40±0.70 kg and 0.0045±0.00002 (Von Bertalanffy. The Brody model provides better goodness of fit than the Von Bertalanffy model.

Push-off tests and strength evaluation of joints combining shrink fitting with bonding

Science.gov (United States)

Yoneno, Masahiro; Sawa, Toshiyuki; Shimotakahara, Ken; Motegi, Yoichi

1997-03-01

Shrink fitted joints have been used in mechanical structures. Recently, joints combining shrink fitting with anaerobic adhesives bonded between the shrink fitted surfaces have been appeared in order to increase the joint strength. In this paper, push-off test was carried out on strength of joints combining shrink fitting with bonding by material testing machine. In addition, the push-off strength of shrink fitting joints without an anaerobic adhesive was also measured. In the experiments, the effects of the shrinking allowance and the outer diameter of the rings on the joint strength are examined. The interface stress distribution in bonded shrink fitted joints subjected to a push-off load is analyzed using axisymmetrical theory of elasticity as a four-body contact problem. Using the interface stress distribution, a method for estimating joint strength is proposed. The experimental results are in a fairly good agreement with the numerical results. It is found that the strength of combination joints is greater than that of shrink fitted joints.

Validity and reliability of wii fit balance board for the assessment of balance of healthy young adults and the elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Wen-Dien; Chang, Wan-Yi; Lee, Chia-Lun; Feng, Chi-Yen

2013-10-01

[Purpose] Balance is an integral part of human ability. The smart balance master system (SBM) is a balance test instrument with good reliability and validity, but it is expensive. Therefore, we modified a Wii Fit balance board, which is a convenient balance assessment tool, and analyzed its reliability and validity. [Subjects and Methods] We recruited 20 healthy young adults and 20 elderly people, and administered 3 balance tests. The correlation coefficient and intraclass correlation of both instruments were analyzed. [Results] There were no statistically significant differences in the 3 tests between the Wii Fit balance board and the SBM. The Wii Fit balance board had a good intraclass correlation (0.86-0.99) for the elderly people and positive correlations (r = 0.58-0.86) with the SBM. [Conclusions] The Wii Fit balance board is a balance assessment tool with good reliability and high validity for elderly people, and we recommend it as an alternative tool for assessing balance ability.

Profile of Physical Fitness of Young Football Players at SDN Cibeusi

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Subashini Periasamy

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Health-related physical fitness components are important in hypokinetic disease prevention and good sports performance. The aim of this research is to evaluate the physical fitness profile of the SDN Cibeusi young football players based on Fitnessgram. Methods: This study was participated by 20 subjects ranging from 10 to 12 years old boys who played for the school football team in SDN Cibeusi. This descriptive study was conducted in the school field in the month of November 2012. Physical fitness components that were tested are aerobic capacity,V02 max using the one-mile run test, muscle endurance by performing push-up and curl-up test, flexibility using the flexometer and body composition by measuring the body mass index and fat fold measurement. The mean and standard deviation of the results were tabulated. Results: Aerobic capacity and percentage of body fat showed 100% of them scored in the category of healthy fitness zone. For body mass index, 55% scored in healthy fitness zone, 25% ni-some risk, and 10% each for ni-high risk and very lean. For push-up test and curl-up test, 80% and 65% scored in the healthy fitness zone while the remaining 20% and 35% respectively scored in the not healthy fitness zone. For flexibility, 75% of them scored in healthy fitness zone and 25% scored in not healthy fitness zone. Conclusions: The physical fitness level in these young football players is mostly in healthy fitness zone.

Predicting fitness-to-drive following stroke using the Occupational Therapy - Driver Off Road Assessment Battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Unsworth, Carolyn A; Baker, Anne; Lannin, Natasha; Harries, Priscilla; Strahan, Janene; Browne, Matthew

2018-02-28

It is difficult to determine if, or when, individuals with stroke are ready to undergo on-road fitness-to-drive assessment. The Occupational Therapy - Driver Off Road Assessment Battery was developed to determine client suitability to resume driving. The predictive validity of the Battery needs to be verified for people with stroke. Examine the predictive validity of the Occupational Therapy - Driver Off Road Assessment Battery for on-road performance among people with stroke. Off-road data were collected from 148 people post stroke on the Battery and the outcome of their on-road assessment was recorded as: fit-to-drive or not fit-to-drive. The majority of participants (76%) were able to resume driving. A classification and regression tree (CART) analysis using four subtests (three cognitive and one physical) from the Battery demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.8311. Using a threshold of 0.5, the model correctly predicted 98/112 fit-to-drive (87.5%) and 26/36 people not fit-to-drive (72.2%). The three cognitive subtests from the Occupational Therapy - Driver Off Road Assessment Battery and potentially one of the physical tests have good predictive validity for client fitness-to-drive. These tests can be used to screen client suitability for proceeding to an on-road test following stroke. Implications for Rehabilitation: Following stroke, drivers should be counseled (including consideration of local legislation) concerning return to driving. The Occupational Therapy - Driver Off Road Assessment Battery can be used in the clinic to screen people for suitability to undertake on road assessment. Scores on four of the Occupational Therapy - Driver Off Road Assessment Battery subtests are predictive of resumption of driving following stroke.

Exertional and CrossFit-Induced Rhabdomyolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Michelle; Sundaram, Sneha; Schafhalter-Zoppoth, Ingeborg

2017-07-14

Few publications of exercise-induced rhabomyolysis currently exist in the medical literature besides case reports. However, this condition can be severe, resulting in hospitalization and IV fluid administration to prevent serious sequelae. This report describes a case of exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis caused by a CrossFit workout. A 31-year-old female presented with 2 days of bilateral upper extremity pain and soreness, which began 2 days after she completed a CrossFit workout. Workup revealed an elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) of 18 441 U/L, consistent with exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis, and elevated liver function tests and elevated D-dimer, although her renal function was normal. She was hospitalized for 2 days and treated with IV fluids. This case report demonstrates that CrossFit exercises can lead to rhabdomyolysis, highlighting a condition that may be underdiagnosed and underreported.

Is the Veterans Specific Activity Questionnaire Valid to Assess Older Adults Aerobic Fitness?

Science.gov (United States)

de Carvalho Bastone, Alessandra; de Souza Moreira, Bruno; Teixeira, Claudine Patrícia; Dias, João Marcos Domingues; Dias, Rosângela Corrêa

2016-01-01

Aerobic fitness in older adults is related to health status, incident disability, nursing home admission, and all-cause mortality. The most accurate quantification of aerobic fitness, expressed as peak oxygen consumption in mL·kg·min, is the cardiorespiratory exercise test; however, it is not feasible in all settings and might offer risk to patients. The Veterans Specific Activity Questionnaire (VSAQ) is a 13-item self-administered symptom questionnaire that estimates aerobic fitness expressed in metabolic equivalents (METs) and has been validated to cardiovascular patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the VSAQ in older adults without specific health conditions. A methodological study with a cross-sectional design was conducted with 28 older adults (66-86 years). The VSAQ was administered on 3 occasions by 2 evaluators. Aerobic capacity in METs as measured by the VSAQ was compared with the METs found in an incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) performed with a portable metabolic measurement system and with accelerometer data. The validity of the VSAQ was found to be moderate-to-good when compared with the METs and distance measured by the ISWT and with the moderate activity per day and steps per day obtained by accelerometry. The Bland-Altman graph analysis showed no values outside the limits of agreement, suggesting good precision between the METs estimated by questionnaire and the METs measured by the ISWT. Also, the intrarater and interrater reliabilities of the instrument were good. The results showed that the VSAQ is a valuable tool to assess the aerobic fitness of older adults.

Fit-for-purpose land administration : lessons from urban and rural Ethopia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bennett, R.M.; Alemie, B.K.

2016-01-01

Lessons for designing fit-for-purpose land administration and land management activities, where the stated purposes are poverty alleviation, food security, and good governance, are provided. Contemporary developments from urban and rural Ethiopia provide the empirical basis: data is synthesised from

Fitting phase shifts to electron-ion elastic scattering measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Per, M.C.; Dickinson, A.S.

2000-01-01

We have derived non-Coulomb phase shifts from measured differential cross sections for electron scattering by the ions Na + , Cs + , N 3+ , Ar 8+ and Xe 6+ at energies below the inelastic threshold. Values of the scaled squared deviation between the observed and fitted differential cross sections, χ 2 , for the best-fit phase shifts were typically in the range 3-6 per degree of freedom. Generally good agreement with experiment is obtained, except for wide-angle scattering by Ar 8+ and Xe 6+ . Current measurements do not define phase shifts to better than approx. 0.1 rad even in the most favourable circumstances and uncertainties can be much larger. (author)

The Soldier Fitness Tracker: global delivery of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness.

Science.gov (United States)

Fravell, Mike; Nasser, Katherine; Cornum, Rhonda

2011-01-01

Carefully implemented technology strategies are vital to the success of large-scale initiatives such as the U.S. Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) program. Achieving the U.S. Army's vision for CSF required a robust information technology platform that was scaled to millions of users and that leveraged the Internet to enable global reach. The platform needed to be agile, provide powerful real-time reporting, and have the capacity to quickly transform to meet emerging requirements. Existing organizational applications, such as "Single Sign-On," and authoritative data sources were exploited to the maximum extent possible. Development of the "Soldier Fitness Tracker" is the most recent, and possibly the best, demonstration of the potential benefits possible when existing organizational capabilities are married to new, innovative applications. Combining the capabilities of the extant applications with the newly developed applications expedited development, eliminated redundant data collection, resulted in the exceeding of program objectives, and produced a comfortable experience for the end user, all in less than six months. This is a model for future technology integration. (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Good performance in nuclear projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The nuclear industry has demonstrated good performance in many areas relating to the design, engineering, construction and operation of nuclear facilities. This report of an international symposium held in Tokyo highlights examples of good performance in nuclear projects which can aid the industry in seeking even better performance, thus strengthening the contribution nuclear energy can make to sustainable economic growth

An Empirical Fitting Method for Type Ia Supernova Light Curves: A Case Study of SN 2011fe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, WeiKang; Filippenko, Alexei V., E-mail: zwk@astro.berkeley.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)

2017-03-20

We present a new empirical fitting method for the optical light curves of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). We find that a variant broken-power-law function provides a good fit, with the simple assumption that the optical emission is approximately the blackbody emission of the expanding fireball. This function is mathematically analytic and is derived directly from the photospheric velocity evolution. When deriving the function, we assume that both the blackbody temperature and photospheric velocity are constant, but the final function is able to accommodate these changes during the fitting procedure. Applying it to the case study of SN 2011fe gives a surprisingly good fit that can describe the light curves from the first-light time to a few weeks after peak brightness, as well as over a large range of fluxes (∼5 mag, and even ∼7 mag in the g band). Since SNe Ia share similar light-curve shapes, this fitting method has the potential to fit most other SNe Ia and characterize their properties in large statistical samples such as those already gathered and in the near future as new facilities become available.

A new calibrated bayesian internal goodness-of-fit method: sampled posterior p-values as simple and general p-values that allow double use of the data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frédéric Gosselin

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Recent approaches mixing frequentist principles with bayesian inference propose internal goodness-of-fit (GOF p-values that might be valuable for critical analysis of bayesian statistical models. However, GOF p-values developed to date only have known probability distributions under restrictive conditions. As a result, no known GOF p-value has a known probability distribution for any discrepancy function. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We show mathematically that a new GOF p-value, called the sampled posterior p-value (SPP, asymptotically has a uniform probability distribution whatever the discrepancy function. In a moderate finite sample context, simulations also showed that the SPP appears stable to relatively uninformative misspecifications of the prior distribution. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These reasons, together with its numerical simplicity, make the SPP a better canonical GOF p-value than existing GOF p-values.

Person-organization fit and organizational identification as predictors of positive and negative work-home interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorota Merecz

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of the presented research was to explore the links between complementary and supplementary dimensions of Person-Organization fit (P-O fit, organizational identification (OI and negative (WHI- versus positive (WHI+ work-home interactions. It was assumed that both complementary and supplementary P-O fit and OI were positively related to WHI+ and negatively to WHI-. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on a large sample of Polish blue and white collar workers. The subjects were interviewed by means of questionnaires measuring: supplementary and complementary dimensions of P-O fit, OI and WHI. General work ability and demographic variables were also controlled in the study, and statistical analysis of ANOVA, pairwise comparison as well as regression were performed. Results: P-O fit and OI differentiated the subjects in terms of WHI. For women supplementary fit was a significant predictor of WHI- and explained 12% of its variance, for men it was complementary fit with the number of working days per week and the level of education, which explained 22% of variance. Supplementary fit and OI explained 16% of WHI+ variance in women; OI, tenure at the main place of employment and the level of education explained 8% of WHI+ variance in men. Conclusions: It has been proven that not only are the effects of P-O fit and OI limited to the work environment but they also permeate boundaries between work and home and influence private life - good level of P-O fit and good OI play facilitating role in the positive spillover between work and home. Gender differences in the significance and predictive values of P-O fit and OI for WHI were also found. The innovative aspect of the work is the inclusion of P-O fit and OI in the range of significant predictors of work-home interaction. The results can serve as rationale for employers that improvement of P-O fit and employees' organizational identification should be included in work

Person-organization fit and organizational identification as predictors of positive and negative work-home interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Merecz, Dorota; Andysz, Aleksandra

2014-01-01

The aim of the presented research was to explore the links between complementary and supplementary dimensions of Person-Organization fit (P-O fit), organizational identification (OI) and negative (WHI(-)) versus positive (WHI(+)) work-home interactions. It was assumed that both complementary and supplementary P-O fit and OI were positively related to WHI(+) and negatively to WHI(-). The study was conducted on a large sample of Polish blue and white collar workers. The subjects were interviewed by means of questionnaires measuring: supplementary and complementary dimensions of P-O fit, OI and WHI. General work ability and demographic variables were also controlled in the study, and statistical analysis of ANOVA, pairwise comparison as well as regression were performed. P-O fit and OI differentiated the subjects in terms of WHI. For women supplementary fit was a significant predictor of WHI(-) and explained 12% of its variance, for men it was complementary fit with the number of working days per week and the level of education, which explained 22% of variance. Supplementary fit and OI explained 16% of WHI(+) variance in women; OI, tenure at the main place of employment and the level of education explained 8% of WHI(+) variance in men. It has been proven that not only are the effects of P-O fit and OI limited to the work environment but they also permeate boundaries between work and home and influence private life - good level of P-O fit and good OI play facilitating role in the positive spillover between work and home. Gender differences in the significance and predictive values of P-O fit and OI for WHI were also found. The innovative aspect of the work is the inclusion of P-O fit and OI in the range of significant predictors of work-home interaction. The results can serve as rationale for employers that improvement of P-O fit and employees' organizational identification should be included in work-life balance programs.

Fitting PAC spectra with stochastic models: PolyPacFit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zacate, M. O., E-mail: zacatem1@nku.edu [Northern Kentucky University, Department of Physics and Geology (United States); Evenson, W. E. [Utah Valley University, College of Science and Health (United States); Newhouse, R.; Collins, G. S. [Washington State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy (United States)

2010-04-15

PolyPacFit is an advanced fitting program for time-differential perturbed angular correlation (PAC) spectroscopy. It incorporates stochastic models and provides robust options for customization of fits. Notable features of the program include platform independence and support for (1) fits to stochastic models of hyperfine interactions, (2) user-defined constraints among model parameters, (3) fits to multiple spectra simultaneously, and (4) any spin nuclear probe.

Isochrone Fitting of Hubble Photometry in UV–VIS–IR Bands

Science.gov (United States)

Barker, Hallie; Paust, Nathaniel E. Q.

2018-03-01

We present new isochrone fits to color–magnitude diagrams from Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys photometry of the globular clusters M13 and M80 in five bands from the ultraviolet to near-infrared. Isochrone fits to the photometry using the Dartmouth Stellar Evolution Program (DSEP), the PAdova and TRieste Stellar Evolution Code (PARSEC), and MESA Isochrones and Stellar Tracks (MIST) are examined to study the isochrone morphology. Additionally, cluster ages, extinctions, and distances are found from the visible-infrared color–magnitude diagrams. We conduct careful qualitative analysis on the inconsistencies of the fits across twelve color combinations of the five observed bands, and find that the (F606W‑F814W) color generally produces very good fits, but that there are large discrepancies when the data is fit using colors including UV bands for all three models. We also find that the best fits in the UV are achieved using MIST isochrones, but that they require metallicities that are lower than the other two models, as well published spectroscopic values. Finally, we directly compare DSEP and PARSEC by performing isochrone-isochrone fitting, and find that, for globular cluster aged populations, similar appearing PARSEC isochrones are on average 1.5 Gyr younger than DSEP isochrones. We find that the two models become less discrepant at lower metallicities.

A general theory for the construction of best-fit correlation equations for multi-dimensioned numerical data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, S.E.; Moffat, D.G.

2007-01-01

A general theory for the construction of best-fit correlation equations for multi-dimensioned sets of numerical data is presented. This new theory is based on the mathematics of n-dimensional surfaces and goodness-of-fit statistics. It is shown that orthogonal best-fit analytical trend lines for each of the independent parameters of the data can be used to construct an overall best-fit correlation equation that satisfies both physical boundary conditions and best-of-fit statistical measurements. Application of the theory is illustrated by fitting a three-parameter set of numerical finite-element maximum-stress data obtained earlier by Dr. Moffat for pressure vessel nozzles and/or piping system branch connections

Multiple scales in metapopulations of public goods producers

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Marianne; Frey, Erwin

2018-04-01

Multiple scales in metapopulations can give rise to paradoxical behavior: in a conceptual model for a public goods game, the species associated with a fitness cost due to the public good production can be stabilized in the well-mixed limit due to the mere existence of these scales. The scales in this model involve a length scale corresponding to separate patches, coupled by mobility, and separate time scales for reproduction and interaction with a local environment. Contrary to the well-mixed high mobility limit, we find that for low mobilities, the interaction rate progressively stabilizes this species due to stochastic effects, and that the formation of spatial patterns is not crucial for this stabilization.

Meta-analysis suggests choosy females get sexy sons more than "good genes".

Science.gov (United States)

Prokop, Zofia M; Michalczyk, Łukasz; Drobniak, Szymon M; Herdegen, Magdalena; Radwan, Jacek

2012-09-01

Female preferences for specific male phenotypes have been documented across a wide range of animal taxa, including numerous species where males contribute only gametes to offspring production. Yet, selective pressures maintaining such preferences are among the major unknowns of evolutionary biology. Theoretical studies suggest that preferences can evolve if they confer genetic benefits in terms of increased attractiveness of sons ("Fisherian" models) or overall fitness of offspring ("good genes" models). These two types of models predict, respectively, that male attractiveness is heritable and genetically correlated with fitness. In this meta-analysis, we draw general conclusions from over two decades worth of empirical studies testing these predictions (90 studies on 55 species in total). We found evidence for heritability of male attractiveness. However, attractiveness showed no association with traits directly associated with fitness (life-history traits). Interestingly, it did show a positive correlation with physiological traits, which include immunocompetence and condition. In conclusion, our results support "Fisherian" models of preference evolution, while providing equivocal evidence for "good genes." We pinpoint research directions that should stimulate progress in our understanding of the evolution of female choice. © 2012 The Author(s). Evolution© 2012 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Fitness: You Know Exercise Is Good for You, but Do You Know How Good? From Boosting Your Mood to Improving Your Sex Life

Science.gov (United States)

... good? From boosting your mood to improving your sex life, find out how exercise can improve your ... ignore. Everyone benefits from exercise, regardless of age, sex or physical ability. Need more convincing to get ...

Social and genetic interactions drive fitness variation in a free-living dolphin population.

Science.gov (United States)

Frère, Celine H; Krützen, Michael; Mann, Janet; Connor, Richard C; Bejder, Lars; Sherwin, William B

2010-11-16

The evolutionary forces that drive fitness variation in species are of considerable interest. Despite this, the relative importance and interactions of genetic and social factors involved in the evolution of fitness traits in wild mammalian populations are largely unknown. To date, a few studies have demonstrated that fitness might be influenced by either social factors or genes in natural populations, but none have explored how the combined effect of social and genetic parameters might interact to influence fitness. Drawing from a long-term study of wild bottlenose dolphins in the eastern gulf of Shark Bay, Western Australia, we present a unique approach to understanding these interactions. Our study shows that female calving success depends on both genetic inheritance and social bonds. Moreover, we demonstrate that interactions between social and genetic factors also influence female fitness. Therefore, our study represents a major methodological advance, and provides critical insights into the interplay of genetic and social parameters of fitness.

Track fitting and resolution with digital detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duerdoth, I.

1982-01-01

The analysis of data from detectors which give digitised measurements, such as MWPCs, is considered. These measurements are necessarily correlated and it is shown that the uncertainty in the combination of N measurements may fall faster than the canonical 1/√N. A new method of track fitting is described which exploits the digital aspects and which takes the correlations into account. It divides the parameter space into cells and the centroid of a cell is taken as the best estimate. The method is shown to have some advantages over the standard least-squares analysis. If the least-squares method is used for digital detectors the goodness-of-fit may not be a reliable estimate of the accuracy. The cell method is particularly suitable for implementation on microcomputers which lack floating point and divide facilities. (orig.)

Fitted curve parameters for the efficiency of a coaxial HPGe Detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Supian Samat

1996-01-01

Using Ngraph software, the parameters of various functions were determined by least squares analysis of fits to experimental efficiencies , ε sub f of a coaxial HPGe detector for gamma rays in the energy range 59 keV to 1836 keV. When these parameters had been determined, their reliability was tested by the calculated goodness-of-fit parameter χ sup 2 sub cal. It is shown that the function, ln ε sub f = Σ sup n sub j=0 a sub j (ln E/E sub 0) sup j , where n=3, gives satisfactory results

When the model fits the frame: the impact of regulatory fit on efficacy appraisal and persuasion in health communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosone, Lucia; Martinez, Frédéric; Kalampalikis, Nikos

2015-04-01

In health-promotional campaigns, positive and negative role models can be deployed to illustrate the benefits or costs of certain behaviors. The main purpose of this article is to investigate why, how, and when exposure to role models strengthens the persuasiveness of a message, according to regulatory fit theory. We argue that exposure to a positive versus a negative model activates individuals' goals toward promotion rather than prevention. By means of two experiments, we demonstrate that high levels of persuasion occur when a message advertising healthy dietary habits offers a regulatory fit between its framing and the described role model. Our data also establish that the effects of such internal regulatory fit by vicarious experience depend on individuals' perceptions of response-efficacy and self-efficacy. Our findings constitute a significant theoretical complement to previous research on regulatory fit and contain valuable practical implications for health-promotional campaigns. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Ontological knowledge engine and health screening data enabled ubiquitous personalized physical fitness (UFIT).

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Chuan-Jun; Chiang, Chang-Yu; Chih, Meng-Chun

2014-03-07

Good physical fitness generally makes the body less prone to common diseases. A personalized exercise plan that promotes a balanced approach to fitness helps promotes fitness, while inappropriate forms of exercise can have adverse consequences for health. This paper aims to develop an ontology-driven knowledge-based system for generating custom-designed exercise plans based on a user's profile and health status, incorporating international standard Health Level Seven International (HL7) data on physical fitness and health screening. The generated plan exposing Representational State Transfer (REST) style web services which can be accessed from any Internet-enabled device and deployed in cloud computing environments. To ensure the practicality of the generated exercise plans, encapsulated knowledge used as a basis for inference in the system is acquired from domain experts. The proposed Ubiquitous Exercise Plan Generation for Personalized Physical Fitness (UFIT) will not only improve health-related fitness through generating personalized exercise plans, but also aid users in avoiding inappropriate work outs.

SU-E-J-85: Leave-One-Out Perturbation (LOOP) Fitting Algorithm for Absolute Dose Film Calibration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu, A; Ahmad, M; Chen, Z; Nath, R; Feng, W

2014-01-01

Purpose: To introduce an outliers-recognition fitting routine for film dosimetry. It cannot only be flexible with any linear and non-linear regression but also can provide information for the minimal number of sampling points, critical sampling distributions and evaluating analytical functions for absolute film-dose calibration. Methods: The technique, leave-one-out (LOO) cross validation, is often used for statistical analyses on model performance. We used LOO analyses with perturbed bootstrap fitting called leave-one-out perturbation (LOOP) for film-dose calibration . Given a threshold, the LOO process detects unfit points (“outliers”) compared to other cohorts, and a bootstrap fitting process follows to seek any possibilities of using perturbations for further improvement. After that outliers were reconfirmed by a traditional t-test statistics and eliminated, then another LOOP feedback resulted in the final. An over-sampled film-dose- calibration dataset was collected as a reference (dose range: 0-800cGy), and various simulated conditions for outliers and sampling distributions were derived from the reference. Comparisons over the various conditions were made, and the performance of fitting functions, polynomial and rational functions, were evaluated. Results: (1) LOOP can prove its sensitive outlier-recognition by its statistical correlation to an exceptional better goodness-of-fit as outliers being left-out. (2) With sufficient statistical information, the LOOP can correct outliers under some low-sampling conditions that other “robust fits”, e.g. Least Absolute Residuals, cannot. (3) Complete cross-validated analyses of LOOP indicate that the function of rational type demonstrates a much superior performance compared to the polynomial. Even with 5 data points including one outlier, using LOOP with rational function can restore more than a 95% value back to its reference values, while the polynomial fitting completely failed under the same conditions

SU-E-J-85: Leave-One-Out Perturbation (LOOP) Fitting Algorithm for Absolute Dose Film Calibration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chu, A; Ahmad, M; Chen, Z; Nath, R [Yale New Haven Hospital/School of Medicine Yale University, New Haven, CT (United States); Feng, W [New York Presbyterian Hospital, Tenafly, NJ (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: To introduce an outliers-recognition fitting routine for film dosimetry. It cannot only be flexible with any linear and non-linear regression but also can provide information for the minimal number of sampling points, critical sampling distributions and evaluating analytical functions for absolute film-dose calibration. Methods: The technique, leave-one-out (LOO) cross validation, is often used for statistical analyses on model performance. We used LOO analyses with perturbed bootstrap fitting called leave-one-out perturbation (LOOP) for film-dose calibration . Given a threshold, the LOO process detects unfit points (“outliers”) compared to other cohorts, and a bootstrap fitting process follows to seek any possibilities of using perturbations for further improvement. After that outliers were reconfirmed by a traditional t-test statistics and eliminated, then another LOOP feedback resulted in the final. An over-sampled film-dose- calibration dataset was collected as a reference (dose range: 0-800cGy), and various simulated conditions for outliers and sampling distributions were derived from the reference. Comparisons over the various conditions were made, and the performance of fitting functions, polynomial and rational functions, were evaluated. Results: (1) LOOP can prove its sensitive outlier-recognition by its statistical correlation to an exceptional better goodness-of-fit as outliers being left-out. (2) With sufficient statistical information, the LOOP can correct outliers under some low-sampling conditions that other “robust fits”, e.g. Least Absolute Residuals, cannot. (3) Complete cross-validated analyses of LOOP indicate that the function of rational type demonstrates a much superior performance compared to the polynomial. Even with 5 data points including one outlier, using LOOP with rational function can restore more than a 95% value back to its reference values, while the polynomial fitting completely failed under the same conditions

Fitness club

CERN Multimedia

Fitness club

2011-01-01

General fitness Classes Enrolments are open for general fitness classes at CERN taking place on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday lunchtimes in the Pump Hall (building 216). There are shower facilities for both men and women. It is possible to pay for 1, 2 or 3 classes per week for a minimum of 1 month and up to 6 months. Check out our rates and enrol at: http://cern.ch/club-fitness Hope to see you among us! CERN Fitness Club fitness.club@cern.ch  

Analisis Brand Equity dan Customer Loyality Celebrity Fitness Cabang Mall Puri Indah Jakarta Barat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robertus Tang Herman

2010-05-01

Full Text Available This study aims to determine the condition of the elements of brand equity Celebrity Fitness, namely knowing the brand awareness, brand association is formed, to know how the perception of performance and the interests of the brand, how consumers' brand loyalty, and what attributes of service quality a priority for improved performance to can meet consumers' desire to achieve satisfaction. The method used is descriptive method with the sampling technique using probability sampling (simple random sampling, with regional research area in West Jakarta. The results of this study indicate that the overall brand equity of the company is good enough to position the brand awareness top of mind, the brand associations that are formed from Celebrity Fitness is where fitness is comfortable and fun and has a diverse and interesting program, another association was formed team aggressive promotion. Performance level of perceived quality is also good enough. To Brand loyalty are in poor condition because of the high percentage of switchers. Overall customer satisfaction levels are good enough just need a little improvement in the performance of staff. The implication of this research is PT Exertainment should improve the performance of some quality attributes are prioritized so that the loyalty of the members has also increased.

Social Media Marketing Strategy for Zhen Meng Fitness Management Ltd in Shanghai

OpenAIRE

Sun, Mingwei

2017-01-01

The report is written based on practical training of marketing internship in Zhen Meng fitness management Ltd in Shanghai. With carrying out the research, setting objectives, setting and implementing a strategy, it is good to have a deeper understanding of social media marketing strategy. Secondly, with a SWOT analysis tool, it is defined the advantages and disadvantages of Zhen Meng fitness management Ltd in Shanghai. The report is going to try to make an example for other students or compan...

THE SPORTS GOODS MARKET IN THE EU

OpenAIRE

Maja Štrbac

2011-01-01

There are a number of ways to divide this market sector, but broadly speaking the sports market essentially relates to products used in the pursuit of active team or individual sports. This would include team sports, equipment for fitness, gym, snow sports, equipment for water sports, golf, tennis and skating. There is also the „outdoor“ market. This would include camping goods, fishing and horse sports. There are a number of inter- related trends, which impact on the future development of th...

CARS Spectral Fitting with Multiple Resonant Species using Sparse Libraries

Science.gov (United States)

Cutler, Andrew D.; Magnotti, Gaetano

2010-01-01

The dual pump CARS technique is often used in the study of turbulent flames. Fast and accurate algorithms are needed for fitting dual-pump CARS spectra for temperature and multiple chemical species. This paper describes the development of such an algorithm. The algorithm employs sparse libraries, whose size grows much more slowly with number of species than a conventional library. The method was demonstrated by fitting synthetic "experimental" spectra containing 4 resonant species (N2, O2, H2 and CO2), both with noise and without it, and by fitting experimental spectra from a H2-air flame produced by a Hencken burner. In both studies, weighted least squares fitting of signal, as opposed to least squares fitting signal or square-root signal, was shown to produce the least random error and minimize bias error in the fitted parameters.

ACCELERATED FITTING OF STELLAR SPECTRA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ting, Yuan-Sen; Conroy, Charlie [Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Rix, Hans-Walter [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)

2016-07-20

Stellar spectra are often modeled and fitted by interpolating within a rectilinear grid of synthetic spectra to derive the stars’ labels: stellar parameters and elemental abundances. However, the number of synthetic spectra needed for a rectilinear grid grows exponentially with the label space dimensions, precluding the simultaneous and self-consistent fitting of more than a few elemental abundances. Shortcuts such as fitting subsets of labels separately can introduce unknown systematics and do not produce correct error covariances in the derived labels. In this paper we present a new approach—Convex Hull Adaptive Tessellation (chat)—which includes several new ideas for inexpensively generating a sufficient stellar synthetic library, using linear algebra and the concept of an adaptive, data-driven grid. A convex hull approximates the region where the data lie in the label space. A variety of tests with mock data sets demonstrate that chat can reduce the number of required synthetic model calculations by three orders of magnitude in an eight-dimensional label space. The reduction will be even larger for higher dimensional label spaces. In chat the computational effort increases only linearly with the number of labels that are fit simultaneously. Around each of these grid points in the label space an approximate synthetic spectrum can be generated through linear expansion using a set of “gradient spectra” that represent flux derivatives at every wavelength point with respect to all labels. These techniques provide new opportunities to fit the full stellar spectra from large surveys with 15–30 labels simultaneously.

A multilevel shape fit analysis of neutron transmission data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naguib, K.; Sallam, O.H.; Adib, M.

1989-01-01

A multilevel shape fit analysis of neutron transmission data is presented. A multilevel computer code SHAPE is used to analyse clean transmission data obtained from time-of-flight (TOF) measurements. The shape analysis deduces the parameters of the observed resonances in the energy region considered in the measurements. The shape code is based upon a least square fit of a multilevel Breit-Wigner formula and includes both instrumental resolution and Doppler broadenings. Operating the SHAPE code on a test example of a measured transmission data of 151 Eu, 153 Eu and natural Eu in the energy range 0.025-1 eV acquired a good result for the used technique of analysis. (author)

Five-meson VDM fits to the nucleon form factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehrotra, S.; Roos, M.

1975-01-01

Nucleon electromagnetic form factor data in the spacelike and the timelike regions are fitted with a VDM sum of (up to five) isovector and isoscalar pole terms. Finite width effects are included in the rho and the rhosup(,) terms. The effects of including the rhosup(,) and the psi(3105) are studied. Good fits are found only when the rhosup(,) is allowed to have a too low mass (1.2-1.4 GeV) and when in addition some of the couplings or other derived quantities disagree with other estimates. It is concluded that VDM is unable to describe the data unless one introduces a number of yet unknown mesons, such as ωsup(,), phisup(,), rhosup(,)(1.2), etc. (author)

A closer look at the effect of preliminary goodness-of-fit testing for normality for the one-sample t-test.

Science.gov (United States)

Rochon, Justine; Kieser, Meinhard

2011-11-01

Student's one-sample t-test is a commonly used method when inference about the population mean is made. As advocated in textbooks and articles, the assumption of normality is often checked by a preliminary goodness-of-fit (GOF) test. In a paper recently published by Schucany and Ng it was shown that, for the uniform distribution, screening of samples by a pretest for normality leads to a more conservative conditional Type I error rate than application of the one-sample t-test without preliminary GOF test. In contrast, for the exponential distribution, the conditional level is even more elevated than the Type I error rate of the t-test without pretest. We examine the reasons behind these characteristics. In a simulation study, samples drawn from the exponential, lognormal, uniform, Student's t-distribution with 2 degrees of freedom (t(2) ) and the standard normal distribution that had passed normality screening, as well as the ingredients of the test statistics calculated from these samples, are investigated. For non-normal distributions, we found that preliminary testing for normality may change the distribution of means and standard deviations of the selected samples as well as the correlation between them (if the underlying distribution is non-symmetric), thus leading to altered distributions of the resulting test statistics. It is shown that for skewed distributions the excess in Type I error rate may be even more pronounced when testing one-sided hypotheses. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

Development of Intelligent Auxiliary System for Customized Physical Fitness and Healthcare

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huang Chung-Chi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available With the advent of global high-tech industry and commerce era, the sedentary reduces opportunities of physical activity. And physical fitness and health of people is getting worse and worse. At present, the shortage of physical fitness instructors greatly affected the effectiveness of health promotion. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an auxiliary system which can reduce the workload of instructors and enhance physical fitness and health for people. But current general physical fitness and healthcare system is hard to meet individualized needs. The main purpose of this research is to develop an intelligent auxiliary system for customized physical fitness and healthcare. It records all processes of physical fitness and healthcare system by wireless sensors network. The results of intelligent auxiliary systems for customized physical fitness and healthcare will be generated by fuzzy logic Inference. It will improve individualized physical fitness and healthcare. Finally, we will demonstrate the advantages of the intelligent auxiliary system for customized physical fitness and healthcare.

Inside the fitness for work consultation: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, D A; Aylward, M; Rollnick, S

2009-08-01

Evidence now suggests that work is generally good for physical and mental health and well-being. Worklessness for whatever reason can lead to poorer physical and mental health. The role of the general practitioner (GP) in the management of fitness for work is pivotal. To understand the interaction between GP and patient in the fitness for work consultation. This study forms part of a larger research project to develop a learning programme for GPs around the fitness for work consultation based on behaviour change methodology. A qualitative study set in South Wales. Structured discussion groups with seven GPs. Two sessions each lasting 3 h were conducted to explore the GP and patient interaction around the fitness for work consultation. Multiple methods were used to enhance engagement. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Four major themes emerged from the meetings: role legitimacy, negotiation, managing the patient and managing the systems. Within these, subthemes emerged around role legitimacy. 'It's not my job', 'It's not what I trained for' and the 'shifting agenda' Negotiation was likened to 'A polite tug of war' and subthemes around decision making, managing the agenda and dealing with uncertainty emerged. This study starts to unravel the complexity of the fitness for work consultation. It illustrates how GPs struggle with the 'importance' of their role and 'confidence' in managing the fitness for work consultation. It addresses the skillful negotiation that is required to manage the consultation effectively.

Aerobic fitness is associated with greater white matter integrity in children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura eChaddock-Heyman

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Aerobic fitness has been found to play a positive role in brain and cognitive health of children. Yet, many of the neural biomarkers related to aerobic fitness remain unknown. Here, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI, we demonstrated that higher aerobic fitness was related to greater estimates of white matter microstructure in children. Higher fit 9- and 10-year-old children showed greater fractional anisotropy (FA in sections of the corpus callosum, corona radiata, and superior longitudinal fasciculus, compared to lower fit children. The FA effects were primarily characterized by aerobic fitness differences in radial diffusivity (RD, thereby raising the possibility that estimates of myelination may vary as a function of individual differences in fitness during childhood. White matter structure may be another potential neural mechanism of aerobic fitness that assists in efficient communication between gray matter regions as well as the integration of regions into networks.

A new method for curve fitting to the data with low statistics not using the chi2-method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Awaya, T.

1979-01-01

A new method which does not use the chi 2 -fitting method is investigated in order to fit the theoretical curve to data with low statistics. The method is compared with the usual and modified chi 2 -fitting ones. The analyses are done for data which are generated by computers. It is concluded that the new method gives good results in all the cases. (Auth.)

[The relationship of quality of life (QOL) with physical fitness, competence and stress response in elderly in Japan].

Science.gov (United States)

Uemura, Shinichi; Machida, Kazuhiki

2003-09-01

In order to evaluate the relationship of quality of life (QOL) with physical fitness, competence and stress response in the elderly population in Japan, a cross sectional field survey of elderly subjects was conducted. This survey was taken in Naguri village, Saitama. The data collected included physical fitness, competence, stress response and QOL in addition to demographic variables. As for physical fitness indexes, grip strength (GS), single leg balance with eyes closed (SLB), bar grip ping reaction time (RT), trunk flexion (RF), ten-meter walking time (WT) and vital capacity (VC) were measured. The SF-36 was used for QOL assessment. A total of 120 elderly subjected participated to the survey. There were 42 males (73.5 +/- 5.74 years) and 78 females (74.2 +/- 6.17 years). The associations between physical health parameters in SF-36 and WT were highly significant: physical functioning (beta = -2.96, p fit indexes of the structural equation model describing the relationships among physical fitness, competence, stress response and QOL indicated excellent fit to the data with GFI = 0.95 and AGFI = 0.88. Stress response showed relatively stronger influence on QOL than physical fitness or competence. Although there were slight differences in degree of influence, physical fitness, stress response and competence were found to be clearly related to QOL in elderly subjects. To keep good QOL status, it is important to maintain good physical fitness and level of competence and to reduce stress response.

Fitting neuron models to spike trains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cyrille eRossant

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Computational modeling is increasingly used to understand the function of neural circuitsin systems neuroscience.These studies require models of individual neurons with realisticinput-output properties.Recently, it was found that spiking models can accurately predict theprecisely timed spike trains produced by cortical neurons in response tosomatically injected currents,if properly fitted. This requires fitting techniques that are efficientand flexible enough to easily test different candidate models.We present a generic solution, based on the Brian simulator(a neural network simulator in Python, which allowsthe user to define and fit arbitrary neuron models to electrophysiological recordings.It relies on vectorization and parallel computing techniques toachieve efficiency.We demonstrate its use on neural recordings in the barrel cortex andin the auditory brainstem, and confirm that simple adaptive spiking modelscan accurately predict the response of cortical neurons. Finally, we show how a complexmulticompartmental model can be reduced to a simple effective spiking model.

The influence of motivation on stress: is it stressful not to fit?

Science.gov (United States)

Schwab, Sebastian; Wolf, Oliver T; Memmert, Daniel

2015-01-01

The present research elaborates on the regulatory fit hypothesis by investigating a biological stress marker in a motivational fit- and non-fit-situation. Recent stress theories lead to the assumption that the participants' stress level in fit-situations remains constant or rather decreases, whereas under non-fit-conditions an increase of the stress activity is observed. We tested this hypothesis by assessment of salivary α-amylase (sAA), a saliva-based stress marker presumed to reflect noradrenergic activity. The results indicated that participants in a fit-situation show a decrease in sAA, whereas participants in a non-fit-situation demonstrate a contrary effect with an increase in sAA. These findings extend the concept of regulatory fit by illustrating that there are differences in sAA activity depending on whether participants are in a fit-situation. The experience of regulatory fit appears to be associated with a reduction of stress.

Application of tests of goodness of fit in determining the probability density function for spacing of steel sets in tunnel support system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farnoosh Basaligheh

2015-12-01

Full Text Available One of the conventional methods for temporary support of tunnels is to use steel sets with shotcrete. The nature of a temporary support system demands a quick installation of its structures. As a result, the spacing between steel sets is not a fixed amount and it can be considered as a random variable. Hence, in the reliability analysis of these types of structures, the selection of an appropriate probability distribution function of spacing of steel sets is essential. In the present paper, the distances between steel sets are collected from an under-construction tunnel and the collected data is used to suggest a proper Probability Distribution Function (PDF for the spacing of steel sets. The tunnel has two different excavation sections. In this regard, different distribution functions were investigated and three common tests of goodness of fit were used for evaluation of each function for each excavation section. Results from all three methods indicate that the Wakeby distribution function can be suggested as the proper PDF for spacing between the steel sets. It is also noted that, although the probability distribution function for two different tunnel sections is the same, the parameters of PDF for the individual sections are different from each other.

THE SPORTS GOODS MARKET IN THE EU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maja Štrbac

2011-03-01

Full Text Available There are a number of ways to divide this market sector, but broadly speaking the sports market essentially relates to products used in the pursuit of active team or individual sports. This would include team sports, equipment for fitness, gym, snow sports, equipment for water sports, golf, tennis and skating. There is also the „outdoor“ market. This would include camping goods, fishing and horse sports. There are a number of inter- related trends, which impact on the future development of this market sector

"Everyone just ate good food": 'Good food' in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasnain, Saher

2018-08-01

In recent years, consumption of alternatively produced foods has increased in popularity in response to the deleterious effects of rapidly globalising and industrialised food systems. Concerns over food safety in relation to these changes may result from elevated levels of risk and changing perceptions associated with food production practices. This paper explores how the middle class residents of Islamabad, Pakistan, use the concept of 'good food' to reconnect themselves with nature, changing food systems, and traditional values. The paper also demonstrates how these ideas relate to those of organic, local, and traditional food consumption as currently used in more economically developed states in the Global North. Through research based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews, this paper illustrates that besides price and convenience, purity, freshness, association with specific places, and 'Pakistani-ness' were considered as the basis for making decisions about 'good food'. The results show that while individuals are aware of and have some access to imported organic and local food, they prefer using holistic and culturally informed concepts of 'good food' instead that reconnect them with food systems. I argue that through conceptualisations of 'good food', the urban middle class in Islamabad is reducing their disconnection and dis-embeddedness from nature, the food systems, and their social identities. The paper contributes to literature on food anxieties, reconnections in food geography, and 'good food' perceptions, with a focus on Pakistan. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Fitting straight lines and planes with an application to radiometric dating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kent, J.T.; Watson, G.S.; Onstott, T.C.

1990-01-01

Conventional practice in geochronology is to fit a straight line or ''isochron'' to data consisting of two isotopic ratios by a method that takes into account that fact that both ratios are measured with error. In this paper we use matrix algebra to lay out a general method for fitting linear relations between any number of variables, all subject to errors with known variances and covariances and the well-known Newton-Raphson method to do the optimization. This leads to a good computational algorithm which may also be used e.g. to check whether coefficients in several linear relations are the same. In many fields of science one needs to fit linear relations so our method is of wide utility; its use is in no way restricted to radiometric data. (orig.)

Cooperation and the common good.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnstone, Rufus A; Rodrigues, António M M

2016-02-05

In this paper, we draw the attention of biologists to a result from the economic literature, which suggests that when individuals are engaged in a communal activity of benefit to all, selection may favour cooperative sharing of resources even among non-relatives. Provided that group members all invest some resources in the public good, they should refrain from conflict over the division of these resources. The reason is that, given diminishing returns on investment in public and private goods, claiming (or ceding) a greater share of total resources only leads to the actor (or its competitors) investing more in the public good, such that the marginal costs and benefits of investment remain in balance. This cancels out any individual benefits of resource competition. We illustrate how this idea may be applied in the context of biparental care, using a sequential game in which parents first compete with one another over resources, and then choose how to allocate the resources they each obtain to care of their joint young (public good) versus their own survival and future reproductive success (private good). We show that when the two parents both invest in care to some extent, they should refrain from any conflict over the division of resources. The same effect can also support asymmetric outcomes in which one parent competes for resources and invests in care, whereas the other does not invest but refrains from competition. The fact that the caring parent gains higher fitness pay-offs at these equilibria suggests that abandoning a partner is not always to the latter's detriment, when the potential for resource competition is taken into account, but may instead be of benefit to the 'abandoned' mate. © 2016 The Author(s).

Verification of an analytic fit for the vortex core profile in superfluid Fermi gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verhelst, Nick; Klimin, Serghei; Tempere, Jacques

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The vortex profile in an imbalanced Fermi condensate is investigated. • The analytic fit for the vortex profile is compared with numerical simulations. • The analytic fit excellently agrees with numeric results in the BCS-BEC crossover. - Abstract: A characteristic property of superfluidity and -conductivity is the presence of quantized vortices in rotating systems. To study the BEC-BCS crossover the two most common methods are the Bogoliubov-De Gennes theory and the usage of an effective field theory. In order to simplify the calculations for one vortex, it is often assumed that the hyperbolic tangent yields a good approximation for the vortex structure. The combination of a variational vortex structure, together with cylindrical symmetry yields analytic (or numerically simple) expressions. The focus of this article is to investigate to what extent this analytic fit truly reflects the vortex structure throughout the BEC-BCS crossover at finite temperatures. The vortex structure will be determined using the effective field theory presented in [Eur. Phys. Journal B 88, 122 (2015)] and compared to the variational analytic solution. By doing this it is possible to see where these two structures agree, and where they differ. This comparison results in a range of applicability where the hyperbolic tangent will be a good fit for the vortex structure.

Verification of an analytic fit for the vortex core profile in superfluid Fermi gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verhelst, Nick, E-mail: nick.verhelst@uantwerpen.be [TQC, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Antwerpen (Belgium); Klimin, Serghei, E-mail: sergei.klimin@uantwerpen.be [TQC, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Antwerpen (Belgium); Department of Theoretical Physics, State University of Moldova, Republic of Moldova (Moldova, Republic of); Tempere, Jacques [TQC, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Antwerpen (Belgium); Lyman Laboratory of Physics, Harvard University (United States)

2017-02-15

Highlights: • The vortex profile in an imbalanced Fermi condensate is investigated. • The analytic fit for the vortex profile is compared with numerical simulations. • The analytic fit excellently agrees with numeric results in the BCS-BEC crossover. - Abstract: A characteristic property of superfluidity and -conductivity is the presence of quantized vortices in rotating systems. To study the BEC-BCS crossover the two most common methods are the Bogoliubov-De Gennes theory and the usage of an effective field theory. In order to simplify the calculations for one vortex, it is often assumed that the hyperbolic tangent yields a good approximation for the vortex structure. The combination of a variational vortex structure, together with cylindrical symmetry yields analytic (or numerically simple) expressions. The focus of this article is to investigate to what extent this analytic fit truly reflects the vortex structure throughout the BEC-BCS crossover at finite temperatures. The vortex structure will be determined using the effective field theory presented in [Eur. Phys. Journal B 88, 122 (2015)] and compared to the variational analytic solution. By doing this it is possible to see where these two structures agree, and where they differ. This comparison results in a range of applicability where the hyperbolic tangent will be a good fit for the vortex structure.

Cardiorespiratory fitness and vision loss among young and middle-age U.S. adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Loprinzi, Paul D; Zebardast, Nazlee; Ramulu, Pradeep Y

2015-01-01

To examine the association between vision loss and cardiorespiratory fitness among young and middle-age U.S. adults. The study had a cross-sectional design. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004 served as the study setting. Study subjects included 3135 adults ages 20 to 49 years. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed from cardiorespiratory extrapolation using heart rate response during submaximal treadmill testing, with inadequate cardiorespiratory fitness defined as below the 60th percentile for age and gender. Visual acuity was objectively assessed for each eye. Multivariable regression (linear and logistic) models were computed to examine the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and vision. Poorer cardiorespiratory fitness (β = -3.7 mL O2/kg per minute; 95% confidence interval: -5.3 to -2.2) was observed in subjects with visual impairment after adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and comorbid illness. Participants with vision impairment, as compared with those with normal sight, had 4.4-fold higher odds of having inadequate cardiorespiratory fitness (95% confidence interval: 1.04-18.97), whereas participants with uncorrected refractive error were not more likely to demonstrate poorer cardiorespiratory fitness. Adults with visual impairment, but not adults with uncorrected refractive error, demonstrate a significant reduction in cardiorespiratory fitness and are much more likely to have inadequate fitness compared with those with normal vision. Evaluation and implementation of strategies to increase cardiorespiratory fitness among those with vision impairment, in particular, are needed.

The global electroweak Standard Model fit after the Higgs discovery

CERN Document Server

Baak, Max

2013-01-01

We present an update of the global Standard Model (SM) fit to electroweak precision data under the assumption that the new particle discovered at the LHC is the SM Higgs boson. In this scenario all parameters entering the calculations of electroweak precision observalbes are known, allowing, for the first time, to over-constrain the SM at the electroweak scale and assert its validity. Within the SM the W boson mass and the effective weak mixing angle can be accurately predicted from the global fit. The results are compatible with, and exceed in precision, the direct measurements. An updated determination of the S, T and U parameters, which parametrize the oblique vacuum corrections, is given. The obtained values show good consistency with the SM expectation and no direct signs of new physics are seen. We conclude with an outlook to the global electroweak fit for a future e+e- collider.

AN AFFINE-INVARIANT SAMPLER FOR EXOPLANET FITTING AND DISCOVERY IN RADIAL VELOCITY DATA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou Fengji; Hogg, David W.; Goodman, Jonathan; Weare, Jonathan; Schwab, Christian

2012-01-01

Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) proves to be powerful for Bayesian inference and in particular for exoplanet radial velocity fitting because MCMC provides more statistical information and makes better use of data than common approaches like chi-square fitting. However, the nonlinear density functions encountered in these problems can make MCMC time-consuming. In this paper, we apply an ensemble sampler respecting affine invariance to orbital parameter extraction from radial velocity data. This new sampler has only one free parameter, and does not require much tuning for good performance, which is important for automatization. The autocorrelation time of this sampler is approximately the same for all parameters and far smaller than Metropolis-Hastings, which means it requires many fewer function calls to produce the same number of independent samples. The affine-invariant sampler speeds up MCMC by hundreds of times compared with Metropolis-Hastings in the same computing situation. This novel sampler would be ideal for projects involving large data sets such as statistical investigations of planet distribution. The biggest obstacle to ensemble samplers is the existence of multiple local optima; we present a clustering technique to deal with local optima by clustering based on the likelihood of the walkers in the ensemble. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the sampler on real radial velocity data.

Fitness Club

CERN Multimedia

Fitness Club

2012-01-01

Open to All: http://cern.ch/club-fitness  fitness.club@cern.ch Boxing Your supervisor makes your life too tough ! You really need to release the pressure you've been building up ! Come and join the fit-boxers. We train three times a week in Bd 216, classes for beginners and advanced available. Visit our website cern.ch/Boxing General Fitness Escape from your desk with our general fitness classes, to strengthen your heart, muscles and bones, improve you stamina, balance and flexibility, achieve new goals, be more productive and experience a sense of well-being, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtime, Tuesday mornings before work and Thursday evenings after work – join us for one of our monthly fitness workshops. Nordic Walking Enjoy the great outdoors; Nordic Walking is a great way to get your whole body moving and to significantly improve the condition of your muscles, heart and lungs. It will boost your energy levels no end. Pilates A body-conditioning technique de...

Intelligent scheduling of execution for customized physical fitness and healthcare system.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chung-Chi; Liu, Hsiao-Man; Huang, Chung-Lin

2015-01-01

Physical fitness and health of white collar business person is getting worse and worse in recent years. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a system which can enhance physical fitness and health for people. Although the exercise prescription can be generated after diagnosing for customized physical fitness and healthcare. It is hard to meet individual execution needs for general scheduling of physical fitness and healthcare system. So the main purpose of this research is to develop an intelligent scheduling of execution for customized physical fitness and healthcare system. The results of diagnosis and prescription for customized physical fitness and healthcare system will be generated by fuzzy logic Inference. Then the results of diagnosis and prescription for customized physical fitness and healthcare system will be scheduled and executed by intelligent computing. The scheduling of execution is generated by using genetic algorithm method. It will improve traditional scheduling of exercise prescription for physical fitness and healthcare. Finally, we will demonstrate the advantages of the intelligent scheduling of execution for customized physical fitness and healthcare system.

FITS: a function-fitting program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balestrini, S.J.; Chezem, C.G.

1982-01-01

FITS is an iterating computer program that adjusts the parameters of a function to fit a set of data points according to the least squares criterion and then lists and plots the results. The function can be programmed or chosen from a library that is provided. The library can be expanded to include up to 99 functions. A general plotting routine, contained in the program but useful in its own right, is described separately in an Appendix.

Physical fitness reference standards in European children: the IDEFICS study.

Science.gov (United States)

De Miguel-Etayo, P; Gracia-Marco, L; Ortega, F B; Intemann, T; Foraita, R; Lissner, L; Oja, L; Barba, G; Michels, N; Tornaritis, M; Molnár, D; Pitsiladis, Y; Ahrens, W; Moreno, L A

2014-09-01

A low fitness status during childhood and adolescence is associated with important health-related outcomes, such as increased future risk for obesity and cardiovascular diseases, impaired skeletal health, reduced quality of life and poor mental health. Fitness reference values for adolescents from different countries have been published, but there is a scarcity of reference values for pre-pubertal children in Europe, using harmonised measures of fitness in the literature. The IDEFICS study offers a good opportunity to establish normative values of a large set of fitness components from eight European countries using common and well-standardised methods in a large sample of children. Therefore, the aim of this study is to report sex- and age-specific fitness reference standards in European children. Children (10,302) aged 6-10.9 years (50.7% girls) were examined. The test battery included: the flamingo balance test, back-saver sit-and-reach test (flexibility), handgrip strength test, standing long jump test (lower-limb explosive strength) and 40-m sprint test (speed). Moreover, cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by a 20-m shuttle run test. Percentile curves for the 1st, 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, 97th and 99th percentiles were calculated using the General Additive Model for Location Scale and Shape (GAMLSS). Our results show that boys performed better than girls in speed, lower- and upper-limb strength and cardiorespiratory fitness, and girls performed better in balance and flexibility. Older children performed better than younger children, except for cardiorespiratory fitness in boys and flexibility in girls. Our results provide for the first time sex- and age-specific physical fitness reference standards in European children aged 6-10.9 years.

Fitness Club

CERN Multimedia

Fitness Club

2011-01-01

The CERN Fitness Club is organising Zumba Classes on the first Wednesday of each month, starting 7 September (19.00 – 20.00). What is Zumba®? It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health. Above all it’s great fun and an excellent work out. Price: 22 CHF/person Sign-up via the following form: https://espace.cern.ch/club-fitness/Lists/Zumba%20Subscription/NewForm.aspx For more info: fitness.club@cern.ch

Sales drive advertising expenditures: Evidence for consumer packaged and durable goods in Germany

OpenAIRE

Lischka, Juliane A; Kienzler, Stephanie; Mellmann, Ulrike

2014-01-01

The relation between sales and advertising is both complex and diverse. Whether advertising activities drive or follow sales is still unclear. We uncover this relation distinguishing between consumer packaged goods (CPG) and durable consumer goods (DCG) industries. We fit vector autoregressive models to sales and advertising expenditures of four CPG and three DCG industries in Germany from 1991 q1 to 2009 q4. Findings reveal that advertising expenditures do not increase total sales of industr...

Exotic Endurance: Tourism, Fitness and the Marathon des Sables

OpenAIRE

Lisle, Debbie

2016-01-01

This paper critically examines the intersections of global tourism and fitness in the Marathon des Sables, an annual ultramarathon in the Sahara desert in which over a thousand athletes run the equivalent of five marathons in six days. It demonstrates how the globalization of health and fitness resonates with familiar Western productions of exotic cultures for the purposes of tourist consumption. Of particular interest here is how established colonial asymmetries are recast in a neoliberal co...

Assessing model fit in latent class analysis when asymptotics do not hold

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Kollenburg, Geert H.; Mulder, Joris; Vermunt, Jeroen K.

2015-01-01

The application of latent class (LC) analysis involves evaluating the LC model using goodness-of-fit statistics. To assess the misfit of a specified model, say with the Pearson chi-squared statistic, a p-value can be obtained using an asymptotic reference distribution. However, asymptotic p-values

Hearing protector fit testing with off-shore oil-rig inspectors in Louisiana and Texas.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, William J; Themann, Christa L; Murata, Taichi K

2016-11-01

This field study aimed to assess the noise reduction of hearing protection for individual workers, demonstrate the effectiveness of training on the level of protection achieved, and measure the time required to implement hearing protector fit testing in the workplace. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted field studies in Louisiana and Texas to test the performance of HPD Well-Fit. Fit tests were performed on 126 inspectors and engineers working in the offshore oil industry. Workers were fit tested with the goal of achieving a 25-dB PAR. Less than half of the workers were achieving sufficient protection from their hearing protectors prior to NIOSH intervention and training; following re-fitting and re-training, over 85% of the workers achieved sufficient protection. Typical test times were 6-12 minutes. Fit testing of the workers' earplugs identified those workers who were and were not achieving the desired level of protection. Recommendations for other hearing protection solutions were made for workers who could not achieve the target PAR. The study demonstrates the need for individual hearing protector fit testing and addresses some of the barriers to implementation.

Testing the validity of stock-recruitment curve fits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christensen, S.W.; Goodyear, C.P.

1988-01-01

The utilities relied heavily on the Ricker stock-recruitment model as the basis for quantifying biological compensation in the Hudson River power case. They presented many fits of the Ricker model to data derived from striped bass catch and effort records compiled by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Based on this curve-fitting exercise, a value of 4 was chosen for the parameter alpha in the Ricker model, and this value was used to derive the utilities' estimates of the long-term impact of power plants on striped bass populations. A technique was developed and applied to address a single fundamental question: if the Ricker model were applicable to the Hudson River striped bass population, could the estimates of alpha from the curve-fitting exercise be considered reliable. The technique involved constructing a simulation model that incorporated the essential biological features of the population and simulated the characteristics of the available actual catch-per-unit-effort data through time. The ability or failure to retrieve the known parameter values underlying the simulation model via the curve-fitting exercise was a direct test of the reliability of the results of fitting stock-recruitment curves to the real data. The results demonstrated that estimates of alpha from the curve-fitting exercise were not reliable. The simulation-modeling technique provides an effective way to identify whether or not particular data are appropriate for use in fitting such models. 39 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs

Fitness cost

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Karen L.; Pedersen, Thomas M.; Udekwu, Klas I.

2012-01-01

phage types, predominantly only penicillin resistant. We investigated whether isolates of this epidemic were associated with a fitness cost, and we employed a mathematical model to ask whether these fitness costs could have led to the observed reduction in frequency. Bacteraemia isolates of S. aureus...... from Denmark have been stored since 1957. We chose 40 S. aureus isolates belonging to phage complex 83A, clonal complex 8 based on spa type, ranging in time of isolation from 1957 to 1980 and with varyous antibiograms, including both methicillin-resistant and -susceptible isolates. The relative fitness...... of each isolate was determined in a growth competition assay with a reference isolate. Significant fitness costs of 215 were determined for the MRSA isolates studied. There was a significant negative correlation between number of antibiotic resistances and relative fitness. Multiple regression analysis...

How Business Idea Fit Affects Sustainability and Creates Opportunities for Value Co-Creation in Nascent Firms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gian Luca Casali

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A well-defined business idea is essential for nascent business sustainability in the future. The business idea must fit firm knowledge and resources to a profitable business opportunity. This work adopts the framework of value co-creation, strongly related to the service-dominant logic paradigm. We ask how does business idea fit affect new venture sustainability and create opportunities for value co-creation. We propose that a business idea that lacks fit is less sustainable, but it could create opportunities for value co-creation. This study develops and validates an empirically grounded taxonomy of business idea fit based on 729 Australian nascent firms using quantitative data generated from the results of a large study called CAUSEE (Comprehensive Australian Study of Entrepreneurial Emergence. A cluster analysis is used to identify distinct patterns of business idea fit. The empirical taxonomy developed in this study found four distinct clusters of firms, which were distinguished by the fit of their new business idea to knowledge, resources and market profitability: very good fit, low knowledge fit, low profit fit and low fit. Results show how these different patterns of fit create opportunities for value co-creation to create business future sustainability.

Association between self-reported and objectively measured physical fitness level in a middle-aged population in primary care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Obling, Kirstine H.; Hansen, Anne-Louise Smidt; Overgaard, Kristian

2015-01-01

fitness level were cross-tabulated and agreement was quantified by Kappa statistics. Gender differences within categories were investigated by Poisson regression. RESULTS: Data from 996 men and 1017 women were analyzed (excluded, n = 303). In both men and women a higher self-reported fitness level......AIM: To investigate the association between self-reported physical fitness level obtained by a single-item question and objectively measured fitness level in 30- to 49-year-old men and women. METHODS: From the Danish 'Check Your Health Preventive Program' 2013-2014 fitness level was assessed...... in 2316 participants using the Aastrand test. Additionally, participants rated their physical fitness as high, good, average, fair or low. The association of self-reported- with objectively measured fitness level was analyzed by linear regression. Categories of self-reported- and objectively measured...

Self-assessment of health and physical fitness by young adults practising sport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Małgorzata Kałwa

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Practising sport and engaging in physical activity at a young age is meant to increase the level of a person’s physical fitness and health. Yet, the generation of 20-year-olds – former and active sportspersons – assess their general physical fitness and health as worse than good. Therefore, does practising sport, in the self-assessment of young persons, really improve one’s health and physical fitness? Purpose: The purpose of this research was to diagnose the subjective assessment of fitness and a sense of health among young adults practising sport as well as former sportspersons in comparison with the self-assessment of non-training persons. Materials and methodology: 1153 adult persons aged 19-28 were surveyed. Those persons were supposed to perform a self-assessment of their health and physical fitness and report the pain disorders that they experienced. The group surveyed included 484 ex-sportspersons, 450 active sportspersons and 212 persons who had never practised sport. The survey used a 1-5 assessment scale. Results: The survey participants assessed their general physical fitness level at 3.82 ±1.00 and their health level at 3.88 ±1.10. In comparison with the other groups the sportspersons gave their fitness a better mark despite the largest number of pain disorders experienced. The result of health self-assessment did not differ among the groups. Sportspersons and ex-sportspersons indicated injuries and the pain felt, especially in the cervical and thoracic spine, the hips and the head, and complained more frequently about shortness of breath. Conclusions: Practising sport at a young age does not significantly alter the self-assessment of health among young persons. An average sportsperson experiences at least one pain disorder that correlates with a lower sense of good health. The highest frequency of associated pain disorders is observed in sportspersons, with the pain being located mainly in the area of the

Melox west fitting building a major contribution towards an enhanced flexibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fraize, G.; Belmont, J.M.; Bouzon, P.

1998-01-01

As of April 1, 1998, 28 European Light Water Reactors (LWR) have been loaded with MOX fuel. In the near future (by 2010), up to 50 reactors should be 'moxified' in Europe. and about 15 in Japan. The trend towards expanding MOX fuel utilization in LWRs is based on very good records of in-core performances. Indeed, the accumulated experience (more than 1000 MOX fuel assemblies loaded in the European reactors) demonstrates MOX fuel performances as excellent and comparable for reactors operations to UO 2 fuel. To cope with the growing MOX fuel demand, some countries have equipped themselves (or should equip themselves in the near future) with the state-of-art MOX industrial capabilities. This growing demand is obviously linked with a higher diversity in fuel designs requirements. The empowerment of the MELOX plant, the first high-throughput MOX fuel fabrication facility in operation in the world, is in keeping with this situation. Utilities have to face the market moves, and their expectations towards fuel suppliers are changing. The MELOX West Fitting Building (MWFB) resulting from an optimized design know-how, is the demonstration of the COGEMA Group high capability of adaptation. With the MWFB, the completion of a versatile fabrication plant adapted to the international fuel market will be reached. (author)

Optimal Provision of Public Goods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kreiner, Claus Thustrup; Verdelin, Nicolaj

There currently exist two competing approaches in the literature on the optimal provision of public goods. The standard approach highlights the importance of distortionary taxation and distributional concerns. The new approach neutralizes distributional concerns by adjusting the non-linear income...... tax, and finds that this reinvigorates the simple Samuelson rule when preferences are separable in goods and leisure. We provide a synthesis by demonstrating that both approaches derive from the same basic formula. We further develop the new approach by deriving a general, intuitive formula...

ANALYTIC FITS FOR PARTIAL PHOTOIONIZATION CROSS-SECTIONS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

VERNER, DA; YAKOVLEV, DG

We present a compact, uniform and complete set of analytic fits to the partial Hartree-Dirac-Slater photoionization cross sections for the ground state shells of all atoms and ions of elements from H to Zn (Z less-than-or-equal-to 30). Comparison with experiment and theory demonstrates generally

The FitTrack Index as fitness indicator: A pilot study | van Rensburg ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusions: These results suggest that the web-based FitTrack Index may be considered an appropriate tool to evaluate exercise capacity and cardiovascular fitness in healthy individuals following an aerobic training programme. Keywords: Aerobic fitness, Exercise ability, Recreational fitness, Cardiovascular fitness, ...

What's in a name? Group fitness class names and women's reasons for exercising.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Theresa C; Miller, Bridget M; Adams, Bailey M

2017-01-01

The benefits of intrinsic exercise motivation are well recognized, yet extrinsically focused group-fitness class names/descriptions dominate the fitness industry. To explore the impact of how fitness classes are marketed, women (N = 389) were asked to indicate their preference for either intrinsically or extrinsically focused fitness classes based on title/description. Participants who favored intrinsic class names/descriptions were more likely to report greater interest/enjoyment, perceived competence, and greater effort and report exercising for health/fitness-related reasons. Those favoring extrinsic class names/descriptions were more likely to experience tension/pressure when exercising and report exercising for appearance/weight-related reasons. The results demonstrate the importance of wording when marketing fitness classes.

UV-Stressed Daphnia pulex Increase Fitness through Uptake of Vitamin D3.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra J Connelly

Full Text Available Ultraviolet radiation is known to be highly variable in aquatic ecosystems. It has been suggested that UV-exposed organisms may demonstrate enough phenotypic plasticity to maintain the relative fitness of natural populations. Our long-term objective is to determine the potential photoprotective effect of vitamin D3 on Daphnia pulex exposed to acute or chronic UV radiation. Herein we report our initial findings in this endeavor. D. pulex survival and reproduction (fitness was monitored for 5 d as a proof of concept study. Significantly higher fitness was observed in the D. pulex with D3 than those without (most extreme effects observed were 0% survival in the absence of D3 and 100% with 10 ppm D3. Vitamin D3 was isolated from the culture media, the algal food (Pseudokirchneriella, and the D. pulex and quantified using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. Vitamin D3 was fluorescently labeled using a phenothiazinium dye and added to cultures of D. pulex. Images demonstrating the uptake of D3 into the tissues and carapace of the D. pulex were acquired. Our initial findings suggest a positive role for D3 in ecosystems as both UV-stressed algae and Daphnia sequester D3, and D. pulex demonstrate increased fitness in the presence of D3.

Linear time algorithms to construct populations fitting multiple constraint distributions at genomic scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Siragusa, Enrico; Haiminen, Niina; Utro, Filippo; Parida, Laxmi

2017-10-09

Computer simulations can be used to study population genetic methods, models and parameters, as well as to predict potential outcomes. For example, in plant populations, predicting the outcome of breeding operations can be studied using simulations. In-silico construction of populations with pre-specified characteristics is an important task in breeding optimization and other population genetic studies. We present two linear time Simulation using Best-fit Algorithms (SimBA) for two classes of problems where each co-fits two distributions: SimBA-LD fits linkage disequilibrium and minimum allele frequency distributions, while SimBA-hap fits founder-haplotype and polyploid allele dosage distributions. An incremental gap-filling version of previously introduced SimBA-LD is here demonstrated to accurately fit the target distributions, allowing efficient large scale simulations. SimBA-hap accuracy and efficiency is demonstrated by simulating tetraploid populations with varying numbers of founder haplotypes, we evaluate both a linear time greedy algoritm and an optimal solution based on mixed-integer programming. SimBA is available on http://researcher.watson.ibm.com/project/5669.

FITS: a function-fitting program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balestrini, S.J.; Chezem, C.G.

1982-08-01

FITS is an iterating computer program that adjusts the parameters of a function to fit a set of data points according to the least squares criterion and then lists and plots the results. The function can be programmed or chosen from a library that is provided. The library can be expanded to include up to 99 functions. A general plotting routine, contained in the program but useful in its own right, is described separately in Appendix A. An example problem file and its solution is given in Appendix B.

4-H After-School Program: Bloco Drum and Dance, Part 10. Making Good Nutrition and Exercise Part of the Program.

OpenAIRE

Conklin-Ginop, Evelyn L.; Junge, Sharon K.; Pulley, Karyn

2012-01-01

Part 10: Making Good Nutrition and Exercise Part of the Program. With this 11-part curriculum, you can set up an after-school program that teaches teens leadership, fitness, and good nutrition in an exciting music-and-dance environment.

Simultaneous fit of the spectra of light and heavy self-conjugate mesons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jena, S.N.

1983-01-01

It is shown that a simultaneous nonrelativistic fit of the spectra of both the light and heavy self-conjugate mesons is possible by an effective non-Coulombic power-law potential of the form V(r) = Ar/sup 0.1/+V 0 . This purely phenomenological potential is found to provide a very good account of the mass spectra and the leptonic decay widths of the rho 0 , theta, psi, and UPSILON systems in a flavor-independent manner. In spite of the smallness of the constituent quark masses involved, the nonrelativistic fit for the light mesons of rho 0 and theta systems is excellent

Severe difficulties with word recognition in noise after platinum chemotherapy in childhood, and improvements with open-fitting hearing-aids.

Science.gov (United States)

Einarsson, Einar-Jón; Petersen, Hannes; Wiebe, Thomas; Fransson, Per-Anders; Magnusson, Måns; Moëll, Christian

2011-10-01

To investigate word recognition in noise in subjects treated in childhood with chemotherapy, study benefits of open-fitting hearing-aids for word recognition, and investigate whether self-reported hearing-handicap corresponded to subjects' word recognition ability. Subjects diagnosed with cancer and treated with platinum-based chemotherapy in childhood underwent audiometric evaluations. Fifteen subjects (eight females and seven males) fulfilled the criteria set for the study, and four of those received customized open-fitting hearing-aids. Subjects with cisplatin-induced ototoxicity had severe difficulties recognizing words in noise, and scored as low as 54% below reference scores standardized for age and degree of hearing loss. Hearing-impaired subjects' self-reported hearing-handicap correlated significantly with word recognition in a quiet environment but not in noise. Word recognition in noise improved markedly (up to 46%) with hearing-aids, and the self-reported hearing-handicap and disability score were reduced by more than 50%. This study demonstrates the importance of testing word recognition in noise in subjects treated with platinum-based chemotherapy in childhood, and to use specific custom-made questionnaires to evaluate the experienced hearing-handicap. Open-fitting hearing-aids are a good alternative for subjects suffering from poor word recognition in noise.

Physical Fitness Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Valdes, Alice

This document presents baseline data on physical fitness that provides an outline for assessing the physical fitness of students. It consists of 4 tasks and a 13-item questionnaire on fitness-related behaviors. The fitness test evaluates cardiorespiratory endurance by a steady state jog; muscular strength and endurance with a two-minute bent-knee…

Validating the JobFit system functional assessment method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jenny Legge; Robin Burgess-Limerick

2007-05-15

Workplace injuries are costing the Australian coal mining industry and its communities $410 Million a year. This ACARP study aims to meet those demands by developing a safe, reliable and valid pre-employment functional assessment tool. All JobFit System Pre-Employment Functional Assessments (PEFAs) consist of a musculoskeletal screen, balance test, aerobic fitness test and job-specific postural tolerances and material handling tasks. The results of each component are compared to the applicant's job demands and an overall PEFA score between 1 and 4 is given with 1 being the better score. The reliability study and validity study were conducted concurrently. The reliability study examined test-retest, intra-tester and inter-tester reliability of the JobFit System Functional Assessment Method. Overall, good to excellent reliability was found, which was sufficient to be used for comparison with injury data for determining the validity of the assessment. The overall assessment score and material handling tasks had the greatest reliability. The validity study compared the assessment results of 336 records from a Queensland underground and open cut coal mine with their injury records. A predictive relationship was found between PEFA score and the risk of a back/trunk/shoulder injury from manual handling. An association was also found between PEFA score of 1 and increased length of employment. Lower aerobic fitness test results had an inverse relationship with injury rates. The study found that underground workers, regardless of PEFA score, were more likely to have an injury when compared to other departments. No relationship was found between age and risk of injury. These results confirm the validity of the JobFit System Functional Assessment method.

How do environmental policies fit within larger strategic planning processes

OpenAIRE

Crowe, Lynn

2015-01-01

This chapter explores how environmental policies fit within larger strategic processes relevant to sport management and development. It identifies key policy areas such as environmental impact assessment, sustainable land use planning, environmental protection and visitor impact management. Good practice and guidelines which will enable sport managers to integrate their work with these environmental policies are explored. Detailed guidance on design and longer term management and maintenance ...

PENGARUH BRAND FAMILIARITY TERHADAP PURCHASE INTENTION MELALUI BRAND FIT PADA HOTEL MULIA JAKARTA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Widiawaty .

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The purpose this paper is to examine the effects of Brand familiarity and Brand Fit on Purchase Intention towards the offerings of co branded hotels. The findings showed that the fit between cobrands mediate the relationship between Brand familiarity and Purchase Intention. In particular, a well-known co-branded hotel a high level of Brand Fit could directly or indirectly affect consumer decision-making processes regarding Purchase Intention towards the co-brand. conversely, a less familiar co-branded hotel had positive effect on Purchase Intention only if respondents perceived a good fit between allied brands. Brand Fit could be a more important factor than Brand familiarity in influencing the success of hotel co-branding strategis. future research to examinate the co-branding concept in different social and cultural contexts and also from different perspectives, such as owners or manager is recommended. Most hospitality studies focus on co-branding between hotels and restaurant. This study empirically investigated the effects co-branding on consumer behavior in the hotel sector.

Optimal Provision of Public Goods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kreiner, Claus Thustrup; Verdelin, Nicolaj

2012-01-01

The standard approach to the optimal provision of public goods highlights the importance of distortionary taxation and distributional concerns. A new approach neutralizes distributional concerns by adjusting the income tax schedule. We demonstrate that both approaches are derived from the same...... basic formula. We also take the new approach further by deriving an intuitive formula for the optimal level of public goods, without imposing strong assumptions on preferences. This formula shows that distortionary taxation has a role to play, as in the standard approach. However, the main determinants...

Broad-spectrum physical fitness benefits of recreational football

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milanović, Zoran; Pantelić, Saša; Čović, Nedim

2018-01-01

, narrative reviews have demonstrated beneficial effects of recreational football on physical fitness and health status. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the magnitude of effects of recreational football on blood pressure, body composition, lipid profile...... and muscular fitness with reference to age, gender and health status. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Google Scholar were searched prior to 1 February 2017. In addition...... to a recreational football group or any other type of exercises or passive control group were included. Training programmes had to last at least 2 weeks to meet the inclusion criteria. The primary outcome measures were blood pressure, resting heart rate, body composition, muscular fitness, and blood lipids...

``Wow'' is good, but ``I see'' is better - techniques for more effective Physics demonstrations

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Stephen

2008-03-01

The use of demonstrations to assist in Physics education at all levels is commonplace, but frequently lacks optimal effectiveness. In many cases, the choice of demonstration is not at issue, but rather the manner in which it is presented to the audience. Modern educational research reveals a number of simple ways to improve instruction of this kind, including objective setting, audience evaluation, concept building, and promoting engagement. These techniques and considerations will be reviewed, explained, and modeled through a demonstration of ``Why Mr. Fork and Mr. Microwave Oven don't get along.''

Good genes and sexual selection in dung beetles (Onthophagus taurus: genetic variance in egg-to-adult and adult viability.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Garcia-Gonzalez

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Whether species exhibit significant heritable variation in fitness is central for sexual selection. According to good genes models there must be genetic variation in males leading to variation in offspring fitness if females are to obtain genetic benefits from exercising mate preferences, or by mating multiply. However, sexual selection based on genetic benefits is controversial, and there is limited unambiguous support for the notion that choosy or polyandrous females can increase the chances of producing offspring with high viability. Here we examine the levels of additive genetic variance in two fitness components in the dung beetle Onthophagus taurus. We found significant sire effects on egg-to-adult viability and on son, but not daughter, survival to sexual maturity, as well as moderate coefficients of additive variance in these traits. Moreover, we do not find evidence for sexual antagonism influencing genetic variation for fitness. Our results are consistent with good genes sexual selection, and suggest that both pre- and postcopulatory mate choice, and male competition could provide indirect benefits to females.

Perception of physical fitness is associated with perception of body weight: sociodemographic analysis in Spain

OpenAIRE

Tejero-González, Carlos Mª

2014-01-01

Introduction: The objective of this study was to analyse the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, body weight perception and physical fitness perception. Methods: Survey by means of personal interview. The sample consisted of 8,594 participants living in Spain between 15 and 97 years of age. Sampling error was ±1.07%. Results: Of the people who reported having good or excellent physical fitness, there was a proportionally greater prevalence of males, people aged 15 to 34, pe...

Influence of aerobic fitness on vasoreactivity in young men.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Preston L; Kelley, Edward T; McCoy, Stephanie M; Credeur, Daniel P

2017-10-01

Previous work has demonstrated a direct relationship between aerobic fitness and vasodilatory function (i.e., flow-mediated dilation; FMD); however, the relation between aerobic fitness and vasoconstrictor responsiveness (i.e., low flow-mediated constriction; L-FMC), and the overall vasoactive range (FMD + L-FMC) is unclear. To test the hypothesis that L-FMC and the overall vasoactive range (FMD + L-FMC) will be related to aerobic fitness in young, healthy men. Twenty men (age: 23 ± 5 years) were recruited, and divided evenly into a higher (HF) vs. lower (LF) aerobic fitness group, quantified via YMCA cycle ergometry (VO 2 peak extrapolation), and a 3-min step test (1-min heart rate recovery). Duplex Doppler-ultrasound was used to assess brachial artery FMD and L-FMC. Estimated VO 2 peak (HF = 55 ± 10 vs. LF = 38 ± 5 mL/kg/min) and heart rate recovery (HF = 36 ± 10 vs. LF = 25 ± 8 beats) were greater in the HF group (P aerobic fitness in young, healthy men. Longitudinal or interventional studies are warranted to support causality, and to distinguish whether L-FMC is more sensitive to changes in aerobic fitness than FMD.

Residual stresses and stress corrosion cracking in pipe fittings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parrington, R.J.; Scott, J.J.; Torres, F.

1994-06-01

Residual stresses can play a key role in the SCC performance of susceptible materials in PWR primary water applications. Residual stresses are stresses stored within the metal that develop during deformation and persist in the absence of external forces or temperature gradients. Sources of residual stresses in pipe fittings include fabrication processes, installation and welding. There are a number of methods to characterize the magnitude and orientation of residual stresses. These include numerical analysis, chemical cracking tests, and measurement (e.g., X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, strain gage/hole drilling, strain gage/trepanning, strain gage/section and layer removal, and acoustics). This paper presents 400 C steam SCC test results demonstrating that residual stresses in as-fabricated Alloy 600 pipe fittings are sufficient to induce SCC. Residual stresses present in as-fabricated pipe fittings are characterized by chemical cracking tests (stainless steel fittings tested in boiling magnesium chloride solution) and by the sectioning and layer removal (SLR) technique

FItness programy a individuální přístup ve fitness

OpenAIRE

Rambous, Milan

2008-01-01

Souhrn: Tato diplomová práce se zabývá problematikou fitness programů a individuálru'ho přístupu ve fitness centrech. Celé téma zahrnuje rozpracování postupu při vytváření fitness programů a roli osobního trenéra ve fitness. Dále jsou zde uvedeny specifika některých fitness programů a v empirické části pak příklad dvou individuálních fitness programů. Název práce: Fitness programy a individuálnípřístup ve fitness Title: FITNESS PROGRAMS AND INDIVIDUAL CARE IN FITNESS Cíle práce: 1. podrobný p...

Aerobic fitness is associated with greater hippocampal cerebral blood flow in children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Chaddock-Heyman

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The present study is the first to investigate whether cerebral blood flow in the hippocampus relates to aerobic fitness in children. In particular, we used arterial spin labeling (ASL perfusion MRI to provide a quantitative measure of blood flow in the hippocampus in 73 7- to 9-year-old preadolescent children. Indeed, aerobic fitness was found to relate to greater perfusion in the hippocampus, independent of age, sex, and hippocampal volume. Such results suggest improved microcirculation and cerebral vasculature in preadolescent children with higher levels of aerobic fitness. Further, aerobic fitness may influence how the brain regulates its metabolic demands via blood flow in a region of the brain important for learning and memory. To add specificity to the relationship of fitness to the hippocampus, we demonstrate no significant association between aerobic fitness and cerebral blood flow in the brainstem. Our results reinforce the importance of aerobic fitness during a critical period of child development.

The in vitro fitness cost of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli varies with the growth conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Andreas; Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Olsen, John Elmerdahl

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of stressful growth conditions on the fitness cost of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli BJ4 caused by chromosomal mutations and plasmid acquisition. The fitness cost of chromosomal streptomycin resistance increased......H and at high-salt concentrations. Strains with an impaired rpoS demonstrated a reduced fitness only during growth in a high-salt concentration. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that bacterial fitness cost in association with antimicrobial resistance generally increases under stressful growth conditions....... However, the growth potential of bacteria with antimicrobial resistances did not increase in a straightforward manner in these in vitro experiments and is therefore probably even more difficult to predict in vivo....

On-Farm Demonstrations with a Set of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs Proved Cost-Effective in Reducing Pre-Harvest Aflatoxin Contamination in Groundnut

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vijayaraju Parimi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxin contamination in groundnut is an important qualitative issue posing a threat to food safety. In our present study, we have demonstrated the efficacy of certain good agricultural practices (GAPs in groundnut, such as farmyard manure (5 t/ha, gypsum (500 kg/ha, a protective irrigation at 90 days after sowing (DAS, drying of pods on tarpaulins after harvest in farmers’ fields. During 2013–2015, 89 on-farm demonstrations were conducted advocating GAPs, and compared with farmers’ practices (FP plots. Farmers’ awareness of GAPs, and knowledge on important aspects of groundnut cultivation, were also assessed during our experimentation in the selected villages under study. Pre-harvest kernel infection by Aspergillus flavus, aflatoxin contamination, and pod yields were compared in GAPs plots, vis-à-vis FP plots. The cost of cultivation in both the plots was calculated and compared, based on farmer’s opinion surveys. Results indicate kernel infections and aflatoxins were significantly lower, with 13–58% and 62–94% reduction, respectively, in GAPs plots over FP. Further, a net gain of around $23 per acre was realized through adoption of GAPs by farmers besides quality improvement of groundnuts. Based on our results, it can be concluded that on-farm demonstrations were the best educative tool to convince the farmers about the cost-effectiveness, and adoptability of aflatoxin management technologies.

Low-memory iterative density fitting.

Science.gov (United States)

Grajciar, Lukáš

2015-07-30

A new low-memory modification of the density fitting approximation based on a combination of a continuous fast multipole method (CFMM) and a preconditioned conjugate gradient solver is presented. Iterative conjugate gradient solver uses preconditioners formed from blocks of the Coulomb metric matrix that decrease the number of iterations needed for convergence by up to one order of magnitude. The matrix-vector products needed within the iterative algorithm are calculated using CFMM, which evaluates them with the linear scaling memory requirements only. Compared with the standard density fitting implementation, up to 15-fold reduction of the memory requirements is achieved for the most efficient preconditioner at a cost of only 25% increase in computational time. The potential of the method is demonstrated by performing density functional theory calculations for zeolite fragment with 2592 atoms and 121,248 auxiliary basis functions on a single 12-core CPU workstation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Computer code FIT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rohmann, D.; Koehler, T.

1987-02-01

This is a description of the computer code FIT, written in FORTRAN-77 for a PDP 11/34. FIT is an interactive program to decude position, width and intensity of lines of X-ray spectra (max. length of 4K channels). The lines (max. 30 lines per fit) may have Gauss- or Voigt-profile, as well as exponential tails. Spectrum and fit can be displayed on a Tektronix terminal. (orig.) [de

A CCD fitted to the UV Prime spectrograph: Performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boulade, O.

1986-10-01

A CCD camera was fitted to the 3.6 m French-Canadian telescope in Hawai. Performance of the system and observations of elliptic galaxies (stellar content and galactic evolution in a cluster) and quasars (absorption lines in spectra) are reported. In spite of its resolution being only average, the extremely rapid optics of the UV spectrograph gives good signal to noise ratios enabling redshifts and velocity scatter to be calculated with an accuracy better than 30 km/sec [fr

Good leadership for good quality

OpenAIRE

Franzon, Vilma Maria

2016-01-01

Good leadership is important if you like to have high quality in the results. My experience in the production of the television industry is that conditions for good leadership is insufficient. Therefore, I have tried to get answers for those two questions in my exam report: What are the characteristics of good leadership? What are the prerequisites for good leadership out of production? The method I used is a literature study and observation. I have read a number of books and research studies...

Calorie counting and fitness tracking technology: Associations with eating disorder symptomatology.

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Courtney C; Mazzeo, Suzanne E

2017-08-01

The use of online calorie tracking applications and activity monitors is increasing exponentially. Anecdotal reports document the potential for these trackers to trigger, maintain, or exacerbate eating disorder symptomatology. Yet, research has not examined the relation between use of these devices and eating disorder-related attitudes and behaviors. This study explored associations between the use of calorie counting and fitness tracking devices and eating disorder symptomatology. Participants (N=493) were college students who reported their use of tracking technology and completed measures of eating disorder symptomatology. Individuals who reported using calorie trackers manifested higher levels of eating concern and dietary restraint, controlling for BMI. Additionally, fitness tracking was uniquely associated with ED symptomatology after adjusting for gender and bingeing and purging behavior within the past month. Findings highlight associations between use of calorie and fitness trackers and eating disorder symptomatology. Although preliminary, overall results suggest that for some individuals, these devices might do more harm than good. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Food for thought: pretty good multispecies yield

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rindorf, Anna; Dichmont, C. M.; Levin, P.S.

2017-01-01

good multidimensional yield to accommodate situations where the yield from a stock affects the ecosystem, economic and social benefits, or sustainability. We demonstrate in a European example that PGMY is a practical concept. As PGMY provides a safe operating space for management that adheres...... that broader ecosystem, economic, and social objectives are addressed. We investigate how the principles of a “pretty good yield” range of fishing mortalities assumed to provide >95% of the average yield for a single stock can be expanded to a pretty good multispecies yield (PGMY) space and further to pretty...

The FORCE Fitness Profile--Adding a Measure of Health-Related Fitness to the Canadian Armed Forces Operational Fitness Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gagnon, Patrick; Spivock, Michael; Reilly, Tara; Mattie, Paige; Stockbrugger, Barry

2015-11-01

In 2013, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) implemented the Fitness for Operational Requirements of Canadian Armed Forces Employment (FORCE), a field expedient fitness test designed to predict the physical requirements of completing common military tasks. Given that attaining this minimal physical fitness standard may not represent a challenge to some personnel, a fitness incentive program was requested by the chain of command to recognize and reward fitness over and above the minimal standard. At the same time, it was determined that the CAF would benefit from a measure of general health-related fitness, in addition to this measure of operational fitness. The resulting incentive program structure is based on gender and 8 age categories. The results on the 4 elements of the FORCE evaluation were converted to a point scale from which normative scores were derived, where the median score corresponds to the bronze level, and silver, gold, and platinum correspond to a score which is 1, 2, and 3 SDs above this median, respectively. A suite of rewards including merit board point toward promotions and recognition on the uniform and material rewards was developed. A separate group rewards program was also tabled, to recognize achievements in fitness at the unit level. For general fitness, oxygen capacity was derived from FORCE evaluation results and combined with a measure of abdominal circumference. Fitness categories were determined based on relative risks of mortality and morbidity for each age and gender group. Pilot testing of this entire program was performed with 624 participants to assess participants' reactions to the enhanced test, and also to verify logistical aspects of the electronic data capture, calculation, and transfer system. The newly dubbed fitness profile program was subsequently approved by the senior leadership of the CAF and is scheduled to begin a phased implementation in June 2015.

Moral Fitness: Ethical Education for Marines

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-16

ethics through the key virtues of honor, courage, and commitment early in a Marine’s career. This ethos is enforced during the indoctrination process...thinking about the right thing to do. A basic introduction into moral reasoning, virtue ethics and ethical standards educate new members on ethics and...one must practice the physical fitness test to be successful, ethics must be demonstrated by action and practice. Finally, Aristotle states that

Fitness Consequences of Boldness in Juvenile and Adult Largemouth Bass.

Science.gov (United States)

Ballew, Nicholas G; Mittelbach, Gary G; Scribner, Kim T

2017-04-01

To date, most studies investigating the relationship between personality traits and fitness have focused on a single measure of fitness (such as survival) at a specific life stage. However, many personality traits likely have multiple effects on fitness, potentially operating across different functional contexts and stages of development. Here, we address the fitness consequences of boldness, under seminatural conditions, across life stages and functional contexts in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Specifically, we report the effect of boldness on (1) juvenile survivorship in an outdoor pond containing natural prey and predators and (2) adult reproductive success in three outdoor ponds across three reproductive seasons (years). Juvenile survival was negatively affected by boldness, with bolder juveniles having a lower probability of survival than shyer juveniles. In contrast, bolder adult male bass had greater reproductive success than their shyer male counterparts. Female reproductive success was not affected by boldness. These findings demonstrate that boldness can affect fitness differently across life stages. Further, boldness was highly consistent across years and significantly heritable, which suggests that boldness has a genetic component. Thus, our results support theory suggesting that fitness trade-offs across life stages may contribute to the maintenance of personality variation within populations.

The MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Fitness to Plead: a preliminary evaluation of a research instrument for assessing fitness to plead in England and Wales.

Science.gov (United States)

Akinkunmi, Akintunde A

2002-01-01

This study concerns the preliminary evaluation of an instrument, the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Fitness to Plead (MacCAT-FP), for assessing competence to stand trial, according to the legal requirements in England and Wales. The purposes of the study were to ascertain whether the instrument can be administered practically to groups of prisoners, both those with mental illness and those without; to examine its internal consistency and interrater reliability; to determine whether it can distinguish between fit and unfit individuals, as judged by expert forensic psychiatrists; and to discover whether it is sensitive to changes over time. The instrument was administered to two groups of remanded prisoners: those transferred to psychiatric units for treatment and those without mental illness. In addition to the MacCAT-FP, scales measuring symptom severity and IQ were administered to all participants. Results suggest that the instrument is practical, with good internal consistency and interrater reliability. The correlation of scores with psychiatrists' opinions as to fitness was 0.77. Scores of unfit patients were significantly different from those of fit individuals. The instrument was able to detect significant differences in scores over time. It is suggested that once the instrument has been further validated for research purposes, it may be developed for clinical application.

Respiratory fit testing for farmworkers in the Black Dirt region of Hudson Valley, New York.

Science.gov (United States)

Earle-Richardson, Giulia; Fiske, Todd; Wyckoff, Sherry; Shuford, James; May, John

2014-01-01

Respiratory protection in agriculture has lagged behind other industries. Migrant farmworkers often work in dusty environments yet do not receive appropriate, fitted respiratory protection. During May and June of 2013, researchers pilot-tested a respiratory protection program adapted to fit the unique needs of migrant and seasonal farmworkers. It was implemented in Spanish, with literacy support, at convenient times and locations. Additionally, staff was known to workers, and a farmworker medical center provided medical follow-up. Fifty-six farmworkers participated (68%; 82 invited). Of the participants, 88% were male; 20% reported using respiratory protection. One worker had been fit tested previously; 57% reported being exposed to pesticides. All but six farmworkers passed the medical clearance (91%). The mask most commonly fit to the American-born population was a good fit for only 41% of Latino farmworkers. The fact that two thirds of invited farmworkers participated in the clearance and over half completed mask fitting indicates that the modified protocol meets farmworker needs. A wide range of mask types should be made available for Latino farmworkers.

Randomized crossover trial of a pressure sensing visual feedback system to improve mask fitting in noninvasive ventilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Brill, Anne-Kathrin; Moghal, Mohammad; Morrell, Mary J; Simonds, Anita K

2017-10-01

A good mask fit, avoiding air leaks and pressure effects on the skin are key elements for a successful noninvasive ventilation (NIV). However, delivering practical training for NIV is challenging, and it takes time to build experience and competency. This study investigated whether a pressure sensing system with real-time visual feedback improved mask fitting. During an NIV training session, 30 healthcare professionals (14 trained in mask fitting and 16 untrained) performed two mask fittings on the same healthy volunteer in a randomized order: one using standard mask-fitting procedures and one with additional visual feedback on mask pressure on the nasal bridge. Participants were required to achieve a mask fit with low mask pressure and minimal air leak (mask fit and staff- confidence were measured. Compared with standard mask fitting, a lower pressure was exerted on the nasal bridge using the feedback system (71.1 ± 17.6 mm Hg vs 63.2 ± 14.6 mm Hg, P mask-fitting training, resulted in a lower pressure on the skin and better mask fit for the volunteer, with increased staff confidence. © 2017 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

Reliability and Usefulness of the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test in Male and Female Professional Futsal Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valladares-Rodríguez Santiago

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and usefulness of the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test (30-15IFT in professional male and female futsal players. Thirteen male (24.4 ± 5.6 years; 174.5 ± 10.3 cm; 70.3 ± 9.9 kg and fourteen female (23.3 ± 4.5 years; 165.8 ± 6.2 cm; 61.7 ± 5.5 kg professional futsal players performed the 30-15IFT on two occasions, separated by 5 days. Maximal intermittent running velocity (VIFT and heart rate at exhaustion (HRpeak data were collected for both tests. Reliability was assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC, typical error (TE expressed as a coefficient of variation (CV, and smallest worthwhile change (SWC. VIFT demonstrated very good reliability between sessions, both for male (ICC = 0.92 and female (ICC = 0.96 players. As the TE for VIFT and HRpeak was similar to the calculated SWC for both male and female players, the usefulness of the test was rated as “medium”. A change in performance of at least 2 stages in male players, or a change of more than 1 stage in female players could be interpreted as a meaningful change in aerobic futsal fitness. The results of this study demonstrate that the 30-15IFT is both a reliable and useful test for male and female professional futsal players.

Molecular Clock of Neutral Mutations in a Fitness-Increasing Evolutionary Process

OpenAIRE

Kishimoto, Toshihiko; Ying, Bei-Wen; Tsuru, Saburo; Iijima, Leo; Suzuki, Shingo; Hashimoto, Tomomi; Oyake, Ayana; Kobayashi, Hisaka; Someya, Yuki; Narisawa, Dai; Yomo, Tetsuya

2015-01-01

The molecular clock of neutral mutations, which represents linear mutation fixation over generations, is theoretically explained by genetic drift in fitness-steady evolution or hitchhiking in adaptive evolution. The present study is the first experimental demonstration for the molecular clock of neutral mutations in a fitness-increasing evolutionary process. The dynamics of genome mutation fixation in the thermal adaptive evolution of Escherichia coli were evaluated in a prolonged evolution e...

Effectiveness of three just-in-time training modalities for N-95 mask fit testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, David; Stoler, Genevieve; Suyama, Joe

2013-01-01

To compare and contrast three different training modalities for fit testing N-95 respirator face masks. Block randomized interventional study. Urban university. Two hundred eighty-nine medical students. Students were randomly assigned to video, lecture, or slide show to evaluate the effectiveness of the methods for fit testing large groups of people. Ease of fit and success of fit for each instructional technique. Mask 1 was a Kimberly-Clark duckbill N-95 respirator mask, and mask 2 was a 3M™ carpenters N-95 respirator mask. "Ease of fit" was defined as the ability to successfully don a mask in less than 30 seconds. "Success of fit" was defined as the ability to correctly don a mask in one try. There were no statistical differences by training modality for either mask regarding ease of fit or success of fit. There were no differences among video presentation, small group demonstration, and self-directed slide show just-in-time training modalities for ease of fit or success of fit N-95 respirator mask fitting. Further study is needed to explore more effective fit training modalities.

Evaluation of Two Fitting Methods Applied for Thin-Layer Drying of Cape Gooseberry Fruits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erkan Karacabey

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Drying data of cape gooseberry was used to compare two fitting methods: namely 2-step and 1-step methods. Literature data was also used to confirm the results. To demonstrate the applicability of these methods, two primary models (Page, Two-term-exponential were selected. Linear equation was used as secondary model. As well-known from the previous modelling studies on drying, 2-step method required at least two regressions: One is primary model and one is secondary (if you have only one environmental condition such as temperature. On the other hand, one regression was enough for 1-step method. Although previous studies on kinetic modelling of drying of foods were based on 2-step method, this study indicated that 1-step method may also be a good alternative with some advantages such as drawing an informative figure and reducing time of calculations.

Two Aspects of the Simplex Model: Goodness of Fit to Linear Growth Curve Structures and the Analysis of Mean Trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandys, Frantisek; Dolan, Conor V.; Molenaar, Peter C. M.

1994-01-01

Studied the conditions under which the quasi-Markov simplex model fits a linear growth curve covariance structure and determined when the model is rejected. Presents a quasi-Markov simplex model with structured means and gives an example. (SLD)

Balanced Physical Exercise Increase Physical Fitness, Optimize Endorphin Levels, and Decrease Malondialdehyde Levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erwin Adams Pangkahila

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Physical fitness determines the level of human health. A good physical fitness can be achieved if conducted with a balance and active physical fitness. The aims of this study was to elucidate the effect of balanced physical exercise on physical fitness, endorphin levels, and malondialdehyde (MDA levels. Methods: This study was a true experimental with pretest-posttest control group design using 24 students of IKIP PGRI Denpasar. Selected samples divided into two groups: the control group given conventional physical training (P0 and the treatment group given balanced physical training (P1. Physical fitness tests was performed using Cooper method and blood sampling was done to evaluate the level of endorphins and MDA before (pre test and after (post test treatment of 8 weeks. The data of endorphin and MDA levels were analyzed using independent T test. Whereas, the physical fitness was analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Physical fitness of the group given a balanced physical training was significantly higher compare to the group given a conventional physical training (p < 0.05. Balanced physical training was proven to enhance physical fitness as measured by the Cooper method better than conventional physical training. In contrast, the levels of endorphins of the balanced physical training group did not different with the conventional physical training group (p > 0.05. Levels of MDA of balanced physical training group also did not different with the conventional physical training group (p > 0.05. Conclusions: balanced physical training can maintain physical fitness of people and improve the health and quality of life. 

Variational mesh segmentation via quadric surface fitting

KAUST Repository

Yan, Dongming; Wang, Wen Ping; Liu, Yang; Yang, Zhouwang

2012-01-01

We present a new variational method for mesh segmentation by fitting quadric surfaces. Each component of the resulting segmentation is represented by a general quadric surface (including plane as a special case). A novel energy function is defined to evaluate the quality of the segmentation, which combines both L2 and L2 ,1 metrics from a triangle to a quadric surface. The Lloyd iteration is used to minimize the energy function, which repeatedly interleaves between mesh partition and quadric surface fitting. We also integrate feature-based and simplification-based techniques in the segmentation framework, which greatly improve the performance. The advantages of our algorithm are demonstrated by comparing with the state-of-the-art methods. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Variational mesh segmentation via quadric surface fitting

KAUST Repository

Yan, Dongming

2012-11-01

We present a new variational method for mesh segmentation by fitting quadric surfaces. Each component of the resulting segmentation is represented by a general quadric surface (including plane as a special case). A novel energy function is defined to evaluate the quality of the segmentation, which combines both L2 and L2 ,1 metrics from a triangle to a quadric surface. The Lloyd iteration is used to minimize the energy function, which repeatedly interleaves between mesh partition and quadric surface fitting. We also integrate feature-based and simplification-based techniques in the segmentation framework, which greatly improve the performance. The advantages of our algorithm are demonstrated by comparing with the state-of-the-art methods. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical Fit of Partial Removable Dental Prostheses Based on Alginate or Polyvinyl Siloxane Impressions.

Science.gov (United States)

Fokkinga, Wietske A; Witter, Dick J; Bronkhorst, Ewald M; Creugers, Nico H

The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical fit of metal-frame partial removable dental prostheses (PRDPs) based on custom trays used with alginate or polyvinyl siloxane impression material. Fifth-year students of the Nijmegen Dental School made 25 correct impressions for 23 PRDPs for 21 patients using alginate, and 31 correct impressions for 30 PRDPs for 28 patients using polyvinyl siloxane. Clinical fit of the framework as a whole and of each retainer separately were evaluated by calibrated supervisors during framework try-in before (first evaluation) and after (second evaluation) possible adjustments (score 0 = poor fit, up to score 3 = good fit). Framework fit and fit of the denture base were evaluated at delivery (third evaluation). Finally, postinsertion sessions were evaluated and total number of sessions needed, sore spots, adjustments to the denture base, and reported food-impaction were recorded. No significant differences in clinical fit (of the framework as a whole, for the retainers, or for the denture base) were found between the groups in the three evaluation sessions. Differences were not found for postinsertion sessions with one exception: in the alginate group, four subjects reported food impaction, versus none in the polyvinyl siloxane group. Clinical fit of metal-frame PRDPs based on impressions with custom trays combined with alginate or polyvinyl siloxane was similar.

Physical Fitness Measures Among Adolescents With High and Low Motor Competence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Þórdís Gísladóttir

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Physical fitness level is considered to yield substantial health benefits. Earlier studies have demonstrated poor physical fitness outcomes and reduced level of physical activity among adolescents. There have been very few studies on adolescents concerning motor competence and its possible relationship with physical fitness. This study’s aim was to compare physical fitness in adolescents aged 15 to 16 years with high (HMC and low motor competence (LMC. From an initial sample of 94 adolescents, a group of 18 were identified as having HMC or LMC on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2. Eight adolescents (3 girls and 5 boys comprised the LMC group, and 10 children (5 girls and 5 boys made up the HMC group. To measure physical fitness, four tasks were used: one endurance test, one power test, one speed test (Test of Physical Fitness and one flexibility test (EUROFIT. A one-way ANOVA revealed significant differences between the group with LMC and the HMC group in all tasks except the endurance task (Reduced Cooper Test. The findings suggest that physical fitness components are negatively associated with LMC. However, no significant difference between the two groups in the Reduced Cooper Test might indicate that adolescents with LMC can enhance their cardiovascular fitness despite their poor motor coordination.

Fitting a three-parameter lognormal distribution with applications to hydrogeochemical data from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kane, V.E.

1979-10-01

The standard maximum likelihood and moment estimation procedures are shown to have some undesirable characteristics for estimating the parameters in a three-parameter lognormal distribution. A class of goodness-of-fit estimators is found which provides a useful alternative to the standard methods. The class of goodness-of-fit tests considered include the Shapiro-Wilk and Shapiro-Francia tests which reduce to a weighted linear combination of the order statistics that can be maximized in estimation problems. The weighted-order statistic estimators are compared to the standard procedures in Monte Carlo simulations. Bias and robustness of the procedures are examined and example data sets analyzed including geochemical data from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation Program

There is no fitness but fitness, and the lineage is its bearer

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Inclusive fitness has been the cornerstone of social evolution theory for more than a half-century and has matured as a mathematical theory in the past 20 years. Yet surprisingly for a theory so central to an entire field, some of its connections to evolutionary theory more broadly remain contentious or underappreciated. In this paper, we aim to emphasize the connection between inclusive fitness and modern evolutionary theory through the following fact: inclusive fitness is simply classical Darwinian fitness, averaged over social, environmental and demographic states that members of a gene lineage experience. Therefore, inclusive fitness is neither a generalization of classical fitness, nor does it belong exclusively to the individual. Rather, the lineage perspective emphasizes that evolutionary success is determined by the effect of selection on all biological and environmental contexts that a lineage may experience. We argue that this understanding of inclusive fitness based on gene lineages provides the most illuminating and accurate picture and avoids pitfalls in interpretation and empirical applications of inclusive fitness theory. PMID:26729925

There is no fitness but fitness, and the lineage is its bearer.

Science.gov (United States)

Akçay, Erol; Van Cleve, Jeremy

2016-02-05

Inclusive fitness has been the cornerstone of social evolution theory for more than a half-century and has matured as a mathematical theory in the past 20 years. Yet surprisingly for a theory so central to an entire field, some of its connections to evolutionary theory more broadly remain contentious or underappreciated. In this paper, we aim to emphasize the connection between inclusive fitness and modern evolutionary theory through the following fact: inclusive fitness is simply classical Darwinian fitness, averaged over social, environmental and demographic states that members of a gene lineage experience. Therefore, inclusive fitness is neither a generalization of classical fitness, nor does it belong exclusively to the individual. Rather, the lineage perspective emphasizes that evolutionary success is determined by the effect of selection on all biological and environmental contexts that a lineage may experience. We argue that this understanding of inclusive fitness based on gene lineages provides the most illuminating and accurate picture and avoids pitfalls in interpretation and empirical applications of inclusive fitness theory. © 2016 The Author(s).

Good fit versus meaning in fife

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muijnck, W. de

2016-01-01

Meaning in life is too important not to study systematically, but doing so is made difficult by conceptual indeterminacy. An approach to meaning that is promising but, indeed, conceptually vague is Jonathan Haidt's 'cross-level coherence' account. In order to remove the vagueness, I propose a

Uniqueness plots: A simple graphical tool for identifying poor peak fits in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Bhupinder; Diwan, Anubhav; Jain, Varun; Herrera-Gomez, Alberto; Terry, Jeff; Linford, Matthew R.

2016-11-01

Peak fitting is an essential part of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) narrow scan analysis, and the Literature contains both good and bad examples of peak fitting. A common cause of poor peak fitting is the inclusion of too many fit parameters, often without a sound chemical and/or physical basis for them, and/or the failure to reasonably constrain them. Under these conditions, fit parameters are often correlated, and therefore lacking in statistical meaning. Here we introduce the uniqueness plot as a simple graphical tool for identifying bad peak fits in XPS, i.e., fit parameter correlation. These plots are widely used in spectroscopic ellipsometry. We illustrate uniqueness plots with two data sets: a C 1s narrow scan from ozone-treated carbon nanotube forests and an Si 2p narrow scan from an air-oxidized silicon wafer. For each fit, we consider different numbers of parameters and constraints on them. As expected, the uniqueness plots are parabolic when fewer fit parameters and/or more constraints are applied. However, they fan out and eventually become horizontal lines as more unconstrained parameters are included in the fits. Uniqueness plots are generated by plotting the chi squared (χ2) value for a fit vs. a systematically varied value of a parameter in the fit. The Abbe criterion is also considered as a figure of merit for uniqueness plots in the Supporting Information. We recommend that uniqueness plots be used by XPS practitioners for identifying inappropriate peak fits.

Fitness Club

CERN Multimedia

Fitness Club

2010-01-01

Nordic Walking Please note that the subscriptions for the general fitness classes from July to December are open: Subscriptions general fitness classes Jul-Dec 2010 Sign-up to the Fitness Club mailing list here Nordic Walking: Sign-up to the Nordic Walking mailing list here Beginners Nordic walking lessons Monday Lunchtimes (rdv 12:20 for 12:30 departure) 13.09/20.09/27.09/04.10 11.10/18.10/08.11/15.11 22.11/29.11/06.12/20.12 Nordic walking lessons Tuesday evenings (rdv 17:50 for 18:00 departure) 07.09/14.09/21.09/28.09 05.10/12.10/19.10/26.10 Intermediate/Advanced Nordic walking outings (follow the nordic walking lessons before signing up for the outings) every Thursday from 16.09 - 16.12, excluding 28.10 and 09.12 Subscriptions and info: fitness.club@cern.ch  

Using the Bayes Factors to Evaluate Person Fit in the Item Response Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Tianshu; Yin, Yue

2017-01-01

In this article, we propose using the Bayes factors (BF) to evaluate person fit in item response theory models under the framework of Bayesian evaluation of an informative diagnostic hypothesis. We first discuss the theoretical foundation for this application and how to analyze person fit using BF. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach,…

Efficient scatter distribution estimation and correction in CBCT using concurrent Monte Carlo fitting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bootsma, G. J., E-mail: Gregory.Bootsma@rmp.uhn.on.ca [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M9 (Canada); Verhaegen, F. [Department of Radiation Oncology - MAASTRO, GROW—School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht 6201 BN (Netherlands); Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1A4 (Canada); Jaffray, D. A. [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M9 (Canada); Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M9 (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M9 (Canada)

2015-01-15

Purpose: X-ray scatter is a significant impediment to image quality improvements in cone-beam CT (CBCT). The authors present and demonstrate a novel scatter correction algorithm using a scatter estimation method that simultaneously combines multiple Monte Carlo (MC) CBCT simulations through the use of a concurrently evaluated fitting function, referred to as concurrent MC fitting (CMCF). Methods: The CMCF method uses concurrently run MC CBCT scatter projection simulations that are a subset of the projection angles used in the projection set, P, to be corrected. The scattered photons reaching the detector in each MC simulation are simultaneously aggregated by an algorithm which computes the scatter detector response, S{sub MC}. S{sub MC} is fit to a function, S{sub F}, and if the fit of S{sub F} is within a specified goodness of fit (GOF), the simulations are terminated. The fit, S{sub F}, is then used to interpolate the scatter distribution over all pixel locations for every projection angle in the set P. The CMCF algorithm was tested using a frequency limited sum of sines and cosines as the fitting function on both simulated and measured data. The simulated data consisted of an anthropomorphic head and a pelvis phantom created from CT data, simulated with and without the use of a compensator. The measured data were a pelvis scan of a phantom and patient taken on an Elekta Synergy platform. The simulated data were used to evaluate various GOF metrics as well as determine a suitable fitness value. The simulated data were also used to quantitatively evaluate the image quality improvements provided by the CMCF method. A qualitative analysis was performed on the measured data by comparing the CMCF scatter corrected reconstruction to the original uncorrected and corrected by a constant scatter correction reconstruction, as well as a reconstruction created using a set of projections taken with a small cone angle. Results: Pearson’s correlation, r, proved to be a

Direct benefits of choosing a high-fitness mate can offset the indirect costs associated with intralocus sexual conflict.

Science.gov (United States)

Pischedda, Alison; Chippindale, Adam K

2017-06-01

Intralocus sexual conflict generates a cost to mate choice: high-fitness partners transmit genetic variation that confers lower fitness to offspring of the opposite sex. Our earlier work in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, revealed that these indirect genetic costs were sufficient to reverse potential "good genes" benefits of sexual selection. However, mate choice can also confer direct fitness benefits by inducing larger numbers of progeny. Here, we consider whether direct benefits through enhanced fertility could offset the costs associated with intralocus sexual conflict in D. melanogaster. Using hemiclonal analysis, we found that females mated to high-fitness males produced 11% more offspring compared to those mated to low-fitness males, and high-fitness females produced 34% more offspring than low-fitness females. These direct benefits more than offset the reduction in offspring fitness caused by intralocus sexual conflict, creating a net fitness benefit for each sex to pairing with a high-fitness partner. Our findings highlight the need to consider both direct and indirect effects when investigating the fitness impacts of mate choice. Direct fitness benefits may shelter sexually antagonistic alleles from selection, suggesting a novel mechanism for the maintenance of fitness variation. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Everybody needs good neighbours

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffman, G. [Peabody Energy (United States)

2006-05-15

The paper outlines the possibilities for mines to work with surrounding communities to bring about effective land reclamation. Last year Peabody Energy teams reclaimed more than 5000 acres of land and planted nearly 750,000 trees, demonstrating that sustainable development is possible in a way that is compatible with environmental improvement in coal mining. The company has won over 20 awards over the last two years. The North Antelope Rochelle Mine in Wyoming earned a Gold Good Neighbour Award for promoting best practices in environmental conservation and mining education. The Black Mesa and Kayenta mines, which operate on Navajo and Hopi lands in Arizona, were honoured with a Silver Good Neighbour Award and a National Excellence in Mining and Reclamation Award. These mines partnered with the tribes, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and local residents to give residents access to grazing land still under Peabody's control. The Farmersburg Mine in Indiana received the Bronze Good Neighbour Award for commitment to industry education and outreach activities. 5 photos.

GANODERMA LUCIDUM IMPROVES PHYSICAL FITNESS IN WOMEN WITH FIBROMYALGIA.

Science.gov (United States)

Collado Mateo, Daniel; Pazzi, Francesco; Domínguez Muñoz, Francisco J; Martín Martínez, Juan Pedro; Olivares, Pedro R; Gusi, Narcis; Adsuar, José C

2015-11-01

fibromyalgia is a chronic disease characterized by generalized pain, stiffness, poor physical conditioning, non-restorative sleep and poor health-related quality of life. Ganoderma lucidum a type of mushroom that has demonstrated several benefits in different populations. Ceratonia siliqua is a natural therapy rich in antioxidants with potential benefits on health. to evaluate the effects of 6-week treatment of Ganoderma lucidum and Ceratonia siliqua on physical fitness in patients suffering from fibromyalgia. sixty-four women with fibromyalgia participated in the study. They took 6 g of Ganoderma lucidum or Ceratonia siliqua per day for 6 weeks. Different fitness tests were selected in order to evaluate functional capacity. after the 6-week treatment period, Ganoderma lucidum significantly improved aerobic endurance, lower body flexibility, and velocity (p Ganoderma lucidum may improve physical fitness in women with fibromyalgia, whereas, Ceratonia siliqua seemed to be ineffective at increasing physical fitness. These results may indicate that Ganoderma lucidum might be a useful dietary supplement to enhance physical performance of the patients suffering from fibromyalgia. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Automatic fitting of spiking neuron models to electrophysiological recordings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cyrille Rossant

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Spiking models can accurately predict the spike trains produced by cortical neurons in response to somatically injected currents. Since the specific characteristics of the model depend on the neuron, a computational method is required to fit models to electrophysiological recordings. The fitting procedure can be very time consuming both in terms of computer simulations and in terms of code writing. We present algorithms to fit spiking models to electrophysiological data (time-varying input and spike trains that can run in parallel on graphics processing units (GPUs. The model fitting library is interfaced with Brian, a neural network simulator in Python. If a GPU is present it uses just-in-time compilation to translate model equations into optimized code. Arbitrary models can then be defined at script level and run on the graphics card. This tool can be used to obtain empirically validated spiking models of neurons in various systems. We demonstrate its use on public data from the INCF Quantitative Single-Neuron Modeling 2009 competition by comparing the performance of a number of neuron spiking models.

Good governance for pension schemes

CERN Document Server

Thornton, Paul

2011-01-01

Regulatory and market developments have transformed the way in which UK private sector pension schemes operate. This has increased demands on trustees and advisors and the trusteeship governance model must evolve in order to remain fit for purpose. This volume brings together leading practitioners to provide an overview of what today constitutes good governance for pension schemes, from both a legal and a practical perspective. It provides the reader with an appreciation of the distinctive characteristics of UK occupational pension schemes, how they sit within the capital markets and their social and fiduciary responsibilities. Providing a holistic analysis of pension risk, both from the trustee and the corporate perspective, the essays cover the crucial role of the employer covenant, financing and investment risk, developments in longevity risk hedging and insurance de-risking, and best practice scheme administration.

Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-03-01

The Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) supports the applied research, development, demonstration, and evaluation of a suite of advanced technologies that offer promising solutions to the problems associated with the remediation of buried waste. BWID addresses the difficult remediation problems associated with DOE complex-wide buried waste, particularly transuranic (TRU) contaminated buried waste. BWID has implemented a systems approach to the development and demonstration of technologies that will characterize, retrieve, treat, and dispose of DOE buried wastes. This approach encompasses the entire remediation process from characterization to post-monitoring. The development and demonstration of the technology is predicated on how a technology fits into the total remediation process. To address all of these technological issues, BWID has enlisted scientific expertise of individuals and groups from within the DOE Complex, as well as experts from universities and private industry. The BWID mission is to support development and demonstration of a suite of technologies that, when integrated with commercially-available technologies, forms a comprehensive, remediation system for the effective and efficient remediation of buried waste throughout the DOE Complex. BWID will evaluate and validate demonstrated technologies and transfer this information and equipment to private industry to support the Office of Environmental Restoration (ER), Office of Waste Management (WM), and Office of Facility Transition (FT) remediation planning and implementation activities

Current indirect fitness and future direct fitness are not incompatible.

Science.gov (United States)

Brahma, Anindita; Mandal, Souvik; Gadagkar, Raghavendra

2018-02-01

In primitively eusocial insects, many individuals function as workers despite being capable of independent reproduction. Such altruistic behaviour is usually explained by the argument that workers gain indirect fitness by helping close genetic relatives. The focus on indirect fitness has left open the question of whether workers are also capable of getting direct fitness in the future in spite of working towards indirect fitness in the present. To investigate this question, we recorded behavioural profiles of all wasps on six naturally occurring nests of Ropalidia marginata , and then isolated all wasps in individual plastic boxes, giving them an opportunity to initiate nests and lay eggs. We found that 41% of the wasps successfully did so. Compared to those that failed to initiate nests, those that did were significantly younger, had significantly higher frequency of self-feeding behaviour on their parent nests but were not different in the levels of work performed in the parent nests. Thus ageing and poor feeding, rather than working for their colonies, constrain individuals for future independent reproduction. Hence, future direct fitness and present work towards gaining indirect fitness are not incompatible, making it easier for worker behaviour to be selected by kin selection or multilevel selection. © 2018 The Author(s).

ROBUST CYLINDER FITTING IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL POINT CLOUD DATA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Nurunnabi

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the problems of cylinder fitting in laser scanning three-dimensional Point Cloud Data (PCD. Most existing methods require full cylinder data, do not study the presence of outliers, and are not statistically robust. But especially mobile laser scanning often has incomplete data, as street poles for example are only scanned from the road. Moreover, existence of outliers is common. Outliers may occur as random or systematic errors, and may be scattered and/or clustered. In this paper, we present a statistically robust cylinder fitting algorithm for PCD that combines Robust Principal Component Analysis (RPCA with robust regression. Robust principal components as obtained by RPCA allow estimating cylinder directions more accurately, and an existing efficient circle fitting algorithm following robust regression principles, properly fit cylinder. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed method on artificial and real PCD. Results show that the proposed method provides more accurate and robust results: (i in the presence of noise and high percentage of outliers, (ii for incomplete as well as complete data, (iii for small and large number of points, and (iv for different sizes of radius. On 1000 simulated quarter cylinders of 1m radius with 10% outliers a PCA based method fit cylinders with a radius of on average 3.63 meter (m; the proposed method on the other hand fit cylinders of on average 1.02 m radius. The algorithm has potential in applications such as fitting cylindrical (e.g., light and traffic poles, diameter at breast height estimation for trees, and building and bridge information modelling.

Indirect evolution of social fitness inequalities and facultative social exploitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Ramith R; Fiegna, Francesca; Velicer, Gregory J

2018-03-28

Microbial genotypes with similarly high proficiency at a cooperative behaviour in genetically pure groups often exhibit fitness inequalities caused by social interaction in mixed groups. Winning competitors in this scenario have been referred to as 'cheaters' in some studies. Such interaction-specific fitness inequalities, as well as social exploitation (in which interaction between genotypes increases absolute fitness), might evolve due to selection for competitiveness at the focal behaviour or might arise non-adaptively due to pleiotropy, hitchhiking or genetic drift. The bacterium Myxococcus xanthus sporulates during cooperative development of multicellular fruiting bodies. Using M. xanthus lineages that underwent experimental evolution in allopatry without selection on sporulation, we demonstrate that interaction-specific fitness inequalities and facultative social exploitation during development readily evolved indirectly among descendant lineages. Fitness inequalities between evolved genotypes were not caused by divergence in developmental speed, as faster-developing strains were not over-represented among competition winners. In competitions between ancestors and several evolved strains, all evolved genotypes produced more spores than the ancestors, including losers of evolved-versus-evolved competitions, indicating that adaptation in non-developmental contexts pleiotropically increased competitiveness for spore production. Overall, our results suggest that fitness inequalities caused by social interaction during cooperative processes may often evolve non-adaptively in natural populations. © 2018 The Authors.

Unge, sundhed og fitness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jens-Ole

2003-01-01

Artiklen redegør for udbredelsen af fitness blandt unge og diskuterer, hvor det er blevet så populært at dyrke fitness.......Artiklen redegør for udbredelsen af fitness blandt unge og diskuterer, hvor det er blevet så populært at dyrke fitness....

Fitting a function to time-dependent ensemble averaged data.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogelmark, Karl; Lomholt, Michael A; Irbäck, Anders; Ambjörnsson, Tobias

2018-05-03

Time-dependent ensemble averages, i.e., trajectory-based averages of some observable, are of importance in many fields of science. A crucial objective when interpreting such data is to fit these averages (for instance, squared displacements) with a function and extract parameters (such as diffusion constants). A commonly overlooked challenge in such function fitting procedures is that fluctuations around mean values, by construction, exhibit temporal correlations. We show that the only available general purpose function fitting methods, correlated chi-square method and the weighted least squares method (which neglects correlation), fail at either robust parameter estimation or accurate error estimation. We remedy this by deriving a new closed-form error estimation formula for weighted least square fitting. The new formula uses the full covariance matrix, i.e., rigorously includes temporal correlations, but is free of the robustness issues, inherent to the correlated chi-square method. We demonstrate its accuracy in four examples of importance in many fields: Brownian motion, damped harmonic oscillation, fractional Brownian motion and continuous time random walks. We also successfully apply our method, weighted least squares including correlation in error estimation (WLS-ICE), to particle tracking data. The WLS-ICE method is applicable to arbitrary fit functions, and we provide a publically available WLS-ICE software.

When "growth" is not such a good thing…

CERN Multimedia

2009-01-01

The Medical Service is launching a campaign to make people aware of the negative effects of sedentary lifestyles and poorly balanced diets and encourage them to change their habits. Take your health into your own hands: eat healthily and keep fit! At times of economic crisis, growth is welcomed as a positive development but when it’s the average BMI (body mass index or weight in kg/size in m2) of the personnel that’s expanding the news is not so good for a company’s health. "The average BMI has been regularly increasing in most countries for the last ten years, and CERN is unfortunately no exception to the rule", says Dr Reymond of the CERN Medical Service (GS-ME). The percentage of members of the personnel with a BMI over 30 has risen by 3% in three years, which is why we’ve decided to launch a health campaign this year." The initiative has the support of the Management, the Staff Association, the CERN Fitness Club, the three...

Transcending the Curricular Barrier between Fitness and Reading with FitLit

Science.gov (United States)

Opitz, Michael F.

2011-01-01

The author discusses how FitLit, children's literature that spotlights the multiple aspects of health and well-being, offers a vehicle for integrating reading and fitness into existing classroom routines such as guided reading, read-alouds, independent reading, and reading and writing workshop. Sample FitLit titles are provided as well as a…

Luggage and shipped goods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogel, H.; Haller, D.

2007-01-01

Summary: Purpose: Control of luggage and shipped goods are frequently carried out. The possibilities of X-ray technology shall be demonstrated. Materials and methods: There are different imaging techniques. The main concepts are transmission imaging, backscatter imaging, computed tomography, and dual energy imaging and the combination of different methods The images come from manufacturers and personal collections. Results: The search concerns mainly, weapons, explosives, and drugs; furthermore animals, and stolen goods, Special problems offer the control of letters and the detection of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED). Conclusion: One has to expect that controls will increase and that imaging with X-rays will have their part. Pattern recognition software will be used for analysis enforced by economy and by demand for higher efficiency - man and computer will produce more security than man alone

The best-fit universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, M.S.; Chicago Univ., IL

1990-10-01

Inflation provides very strong motivation for a flat Universe, Harrison-Zel'dovich (constant-curvature) perturbations, and cold dark matter. However, there are a number of cosmological observations that conflict with the predictions of the simplest such model -- one with zero cosmological constant. They include the age of the Universe, dynamical determinations of Ω, galaxy-number counts, and the apparent abundance of large-scale structure in the Universe. While the discrepancies are not yet serious enough to rule out the simplest and ''most well motivated'' model, the current data point to a ''best-fit model'' with the following parameters: Ω B ≅ 0.03, Ω CDM ≅ 0.17, Ω Λ ≅ 0.8, and H 0 ≅ 70 km sec -1 Mpc -1 , which improves significantly the concordance with observations. While there is no good reason to expect such a value for the cosmological constant, there is no physical principle that would rule out such. 42 refs

Whole Protein Native Fitness Potentials

Science.gov (United States)

Faraggi, Eshel; Kloczkowski, Andrzej

2013-03-01

Protein structure prediction can be separated into two tasks: sample the configuration space of the protein chain, and assign a fitness between these hypothetical models and the native structure of the protein. One of the more promising developments in this area is that of knowledge based energy functions. However, standard approaches using pair-wise interactions have shown shortcomings demonstrated by the superiority of multi-body-potentials. These shortcomings are due to residue pair-wise interaction being dependent on other residues along the chain. We developed a method that uses whole protein information filtered through machine learners to score protein models based on their likeness to native structures. For all models we calculated parameters associated with the distance to the solvent and with distances between residues. These parameters, in addition to energy estimates obtained by using a four-body-potential, DFIRE, and RWPlus were used as training for machine learners to predict the fitness of the models. Testing on CASP 9 targets showed that our method is superior to DFIRE, RWPlus, and the four-body potential, which are considered standards in the field.

Psychometrics of the Fitness-to-Drive Screening Measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Classen, Sherrilene; Velozo, Craig A; Winter, Sandra M; Bédard, Michel; Wang, Yanning

2015-01-01

We employed item response theory (IRT), specifically using Rasch modeling, to determine the measurement precision of the Fitness-to-Drive Screening Measure (FTDS), a tool that can be used by caregivers and occupational therapists to help detect at-risk drivers. We examined unidimensionality through the factor structure (how items contribute to the central construct of fitness to drive), rating scale (use of the categories of the rating scale), item/person-level separation (distinguishing between items with different difficulty levels or persons with different ability levels) and reliability, item hierarchy (easier driving items advancing to more difficult driving items), rater reliability, rater effects (severity vs. leniency of a rater), and criterion validity of the FTDS to an on-road assessment, via three rater groups (n = 200 older drivers; n = 200 caregivers; n = 2 evaluators). The FTDS is unidimensional, the rating scale performed well, has good person (> 3.07) and item (> 5.43) separation, good person (> 0.90) and item reliability (> 0.97), with < 10% misfitting items for two rater groups (caregivers and drivers). The intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficient among the three rater groups was significant (.253, p < .001) and the evaluators were the most severe raters. When comparing the caregivers' FTDS rating with the drivers' on-road assessment, the areas under the curve (index of discriminability; caregivers .726, p < .001) suggested concurrent validity between the FTDS and the on-road assessment. Despite limitations, the FTDS is a reliable and accurate screening measure for caregivers to help identify at-risk older drivers and for occupational therapy practitioners to start conversations about driving.

[Person-organization fit as a mediator of relationship between work environment and stress among social workers].

Science.gov (United States)

Waszkowska, Małlgorzata; Andysz, Aleksandra; Merecz, Dorota

2014-01-01

Occupational stress of social workers is associated with various psychosocial hazards in the work environment. Some of them affect person-organization fit (P-O fit). The aim of the study was to verify a hypothesis on the mediating role of P-O fit in the relationship between work environment and stress. The research was based on a sample of 500 social workers directly involved in social work. The data were obtained using the Person-Organization Fit Questionnaire by Czarnota-Bojarska, the Work Environment Questionnaire developed by the Department of Occupational Psychology, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) by Cohen et al. As revealed by the regression analysis of the 4 analyzed work environment factors, only organizational politics was significantly related with perceived stress. Complementary and supplementary dimensions of P-O fit and identification with organization were the mediators of the relationship between organizational policies and stress, but only complementary fit proved to be a total mediator. The results of the study suggest that person-organization fit, especially its complementary aspect, is an essential determinant of accomplishing the core functions of social work and good practice among social workers.

Molecular Clock of Neutral Mutations in a Fitness-Increasing Evolutionary Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Kishimoto, Toshihiko; Ying, Bei-Wen; Tsuru, Saburo; Iijima, Leo; Suzuki, Shingo; Hashimoto, Tomomi; Oyake, Ayana; Kobayashi, Hisaka; Someya, Yuki; Narisawa, Dai; Yomo, Tetsuya

2015-07-01

The molecular clock of neutral mutations, which represents linear mutation fixation over generations, is theoretically explained by genetic drift in fitness-steady evolution or hitchhiking in adaptive evolution. The present study is the first experimental demonstration for the molecular clock of neutral mutations in a fitness-increasing evolutionary process. The dynamics of genome mutation fixation in the thermal adaptive evolution of Escherichia coli were evaluated in a prolonged evolution experiment in duplicated lineages. The cells from the continuously fitness-increasing evolutionary process were subjected to genome sequencing and analyzed at both the population and single-colony levels. Although the dynamics of genome mutation fixation were complicated by the combination of the stochastic appearance of adaptive mutations and clonal interference, the mutation fixation in the population was simply linear over generations. Each genome in the population accumulated 1.6 synonymous and 3.1 non-synonymous neutral mutations, on average, by the spontaneous mutation accumulation rate, while only a single genome in the population occasionally acquired an adaptive mutation. The neutral mutations that preexisted on the single genome hitchhiked on the domination of the adaptive mutation. The successive fixation processes of the 128 mutations demonstrated that hitchhiking and not genetic drift were responsible for the coincidence of the spontaneous mutation accumulation rate in the genome with the fixation rate of neutral mutations in the population. The molecular clock of neutral mutations to the fitness-increasing evolution suggests that the numerous neutral mutations observed in molecular phylogenetic trees may not always have been fixed in fitness-steady evolution but in adaptive evolution.

Molecular Clock of Neutral Mutations in a Fitness-Increasing Evolutionary Process.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toshihiko Kishimoto

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The molecular clock of neutral mutations, which represents linear mutation fixation over generations, is theoretically explained by genetic drift in fitness-steady evolution or hitchhiking in adaptive evolution. The present study is the first experimental demonstration for the molecular clock of neutral mutations in a fitness-increasing evolutionary process. The dynamics of genome mutation fixation in the thermal adaptive evolution of Escherichia coli were evaluated in a prolonged evolution experiment in duplicated lineages. The cells from the continuously fitness-increasing evolutionary process were subjected to genome sequencing and analyzed at both the population and single-colony levels. Although the dynamics of genome mutation fixation were complicated by the combination of the stochastic appearance of adaptive mutations and clonal interference, the mutation fixation in the population was simply linear over generations. Each genome in the population accumulated 1.6 synonymous and 3.1 non-synonymous neutral mutations, on average, by the spontaneous mutation accumulation rate, while only a single genome in the population occasionally acquired an adaptive mutation. The neutral mutations that preexisted on the single genome hitchhiked on the domination of the adaptive mutation. The successive fixation processes of the 128 mutations demonstrated that hitchhiking and not genetic drift were responsible for the coincidence of the spontaneous mutation accumulation rate in the genome with the fixation rate of neutral mutations in the population. The molecular clock of neutral mutations to the fitness-increasing evolution suggests that the numerous neutral mutations observed in molecular phylogenetic trees may not always have been fixed in fitness-steady evolution but in adaptive evolution.

Fodbold Fitness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennike, Søren

Samfundet forandrer sig og ligeså gør danskernes idrætsmønstre. Fodbold Fitness, der er afhandlingens omdrejningspunkt, kan iagttages som en reaktion på disse forandringer. Afhandlingen ser nærmere på Fodbold Fitness og implementeringen af dette, der ingenlunde er nogen let opgave. Bennike bidrager...

Bivariate copula in fitting rainfall data

Science.gov (United States)

Yee, Kong Ching; Suhaila, Jamaludin; Yusof, Fadhilah; Mean, Foo Hui

2014-07-01

The usage of copula to determine the joint distribution between two variables is widely used in various areas. The joint distribution of rainfall characteristic obtained using the copula model is more ideal than the standard bivariate modelling where copula is belief to have overcome some limitation. Six copula models will be applied to obtain the most suitable bivariate distribution between two rain gauge stations. The copula models are Ali-Mikhail-Haq (AMH), Clayton, Frank, Galambos, Gumbel-Hoogaurd (GH) and Plackett. The rainfall data used in the study is selected from rain gauge stations which are located in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia, during the period from 1980 to 2011. The goodness-of-fit test in this study is based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC).

Malian Crisis and the Lingering Problem of Good Governance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaimie Bleck

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This article draws on an original survey of 892 displaced persons in Bamako and Mopti/Sevare right before the 2013 presidential elections, which ushered Mali back into multi-party democracy. Our data demonstrates their prioritization of good governance reform as an important solution for the Malian crisis. We then leverage public opinion polling between 2014 and 2015 in Bamako to evaluate how far the government has come in good governance reform. We demonstrate Malians’ dissatisfaction with the government’s efforts to reduce corruption as well as concerns about instability in the capital.

Parallel Kalman filter track fit based on vector classes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kisel, Ivan [GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH (Germany); Kretz, Matthias [Kirchhoff-Institut fuer Physik, Ruprecht-Karls Universitaet, Heidelberg (Germany); Kulakov, Igor [Goethe-Universitaet, Frankfurt am Main (Germany); National Taras Shevchenko University, Kyiv (Ukraine)

2010-07-01

Modern high energy physics experiments have to process terabytes of input data produced in particle collisions. The core of the data reconstruction in high energy physics is the Kalman filter. Therefore, developing the fast Kalman filter algorithm, which uses maximum available power of modern processors, is important, in particular for initial selection of events interesting for the new physics. One of processors features, which can speed up the algorithm, is a SIMD instruction set, which allows to pack several data items in one register and operate on all of them in one go, thus achieving more operations per clock cycle. Therefore a flexible and useful interface, which uses the SIMD instruction set on different CPU and GPU processors architectures, has been realized as a vector classes library. The Kalman filter based track fitting algorithm has been implemented with use of the vector classes. Fitting quality tests show good results with the residuals equal to 49 {mu}m and 44 {mu}m for x and y track parameters and relative momentum resolution of 0.7%. The fitting time of 0.053 {mu}s per track has been achieved on Intel Xeon X5550 with 8 cores at 2.6 GHz by using in addition Intel Threading Building Blocks.

Curve fitting using a genetic algorithm for the X-ray fluorescence measurement of lead in bone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, L.; McMaster University, Hamilton; Chettle, D.R.; Nie, H.; McNeill, F.E.; Popovic, M.

2006-01-01

We investigated the potential application of the genetic algorithm in the analysis of X-ray fluorescence spectra from measurement of lead in bone. Candidate solutions are first designed based on the field knowledge and the whole operation, evaluation, selection, crossover and mutation, is then repeated until a given convergence criterion is met. An average-parameters based genetic algorithm is suggested to improve the fitting precision and accuracy. Relative standard deviation (RSD%) of fitting amplitude, peak position and width is 1.3-7.1, 0.009-0.14 and 1.4-3.3, separately. The genetic algorithm was shown to make a good resolution and fitting of K lines of Pb and γ elastic peaks. (author)

Physical fitness, injuries, and team performance in soccer.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnason, Arni; Sigurdsson, Stefan B; Gudmundsson, Arni; Holme, Ingar; Engebretsen, Lars; Bahr, Roald

2004-02-01

To investigate the relationship between physical fitness and team success in soccer, and to test for differences in physical fitness between different player positions. Participants were 306 male soccer players from 17 teams in the two highest divisions in Iceland. Just before the start of the 1999 soccer season, the following variables were tested: height and weight, body composition, flexibility, leg extension power, jump height, and peak O2 uptake. Injuries and player participation in matches and training were recorded through the 4-month competitive season. Team average physical fitness was compared with team success (final league standing) using a linear regression model. Physical fitness was also compared between players in different playing positions. A significant relationship was found between team average jump height (countermovement jump and standing jump) and team success (P = 0.009 and P = 0.012, respectively). The same trend was also found for leg extension power (P = 0.097), body composition (% body fat, P = 0.07), and the total number of injury days per team (P = 0.09). Goalkeepers demonstrated different fitness characteristics from outfield players. They were taller and heavier, more flexible in hip extension and knee flexion, and had higher leg extension power and a lower peak O2 uptake. However, only minor differences were observed between defenders, midfield players, and attackers. Coaches and medical support teams should pay more attention to jump and power training, as well as preventive measures and adequate rehabilitation of previous injuries to increase team success.

Acute Exercise and Oxidative Stress: CrossFit(™) vs. Treadmill Bout.

Science.gov (United States)

Kliszczewicz, Brian; Quindry, C John; Blessing, L Daniel; Oliver, D Gretchen; Esco, R Michael; Taylor, J Kyle

2015-09-29

CrossFit(™), a popular high-intensity training modality, has been the subject of scrutiny, with concerns of elevated risk of injury and health. Despite these concerns empirical evidence regarding physiologic stresses including acute oxidative stress is lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to examine the acute redox response to a CrossFit(™) bout. Furthermore, these findings were compared to a high-intensity treadmill bout as a point of reference. Ten males 26.4 ± 2.7 yrs having three or more months of CrossFit(™) experience participated in the present study. Blood plasma was collected at four time points: Pre-exercise (PRE), immediately-post-exercise (IPE), 1 hr-post (1-HP) and 2 hr-post (2-HP), to examine oxidative damage and antioxidant capacity. Regarding plasma oxidative damage, CrossFit(™) and Treadmill elicited a time-dependent increase of lipid peroxides 1-HP (CrossFit(™)=+143%, Treadmill=+115%) and 2-HP (CrossFit(™)=+256%, Treadmill+167%). Protein Carbonyls were increased IPE in CF only (+5%), while a time-dependent decrease occurred 1-HP (CrossFit(™)=-16%, Treadmill=-8%) and 2-HP (CF=-16%, TM=-1%) compared to IPE. Regarding antioxidant capacity, Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power also demonstrated a time-dependent increase within CrossFit(™) and Treadmill: IPE (CrossFit(™)=+25%, Treadmill=+17%), 1-HP (CrossFit(™)=+26%, Treadmill=+4.8%), 2-HP (CrossFit(™)=+20%, Treadmill=+12%). Total Enzymatic Antioxidant Capacity showed a time-dependent decrease in IPE (CrossFit(™)=-10%, Treadmill=-12%), 1-HP (CrossFit(™)=-12%, Treadmill=-6%), 2-HP (CrossFit(™)=-7%, Treadmill=-11%). No trial-dependent differences were observed in any biomarker of oxidative stress. The CrossFit(™) bout elicited an acute blood oxidative stress response comparable to a traditional bout of high-intensity treadmill running. Results also confirm that exercise intensity and the time course of exercise recovery influence oxidative responses.

Comparing Person Organization Fit and Person Job Fit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kadir Ardıç

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Although there have been many studies conducted to analyze the effects of person-organization fit (POF and person-job fit (PJF on individual outcomes, little is known about which of these fit associates stronger with individual variables (i.e., intention to quit job, IQJ, and perceived individual performance, PIP. Therefore the purpose of the study is to compare the relationships of PJF and POF with IQJ and PIP. The sample of the study consists of security guards working at a private company's civil aviation safety department. Totally 98 security guards participated to the research. Results indicated that, the relationships of PJF and POF with IQJ and PIP were not significantly different. Consequently the results indicate that POF and PJF associate similarly with critical individual outcomes.

Fitness club

CERN Multimedia

Fitness club

2013-01-01

  Nordic Walking Classes Come join the Nordic walking classes and outings offered by the CERN Fitness Club starting September 2013. Our licensed instructor Christine offers classes for people who’ve never tried Nordic Walking and who would like to learn the technique, and outings for people who have completed the classes and enjoy going out as a group. Course 1: Tuesdays 12:30 - 13:30 24 September, 1 October, 8 October, 15 October Course 2: Tuesdays 12:30 - 13:30 5 November, 12 November, 19 November, 26 November Outings will take place on Thursdays (12:30 to 13:30) from 12 September 2013. We meet at the CERN Club Barracks car park (close to Entrance A) 10 minutes before departure. Prices: 50 CHF for 4 classes, including the 10 CHF Club membership. Payments made directly to instructor. Renting Poles: Poles can be rented from Christine at 5 CHF / hour. Subscription: Please subscribe at: http://cern.ch/club-fitness Looking forward to seeing you among us! Fitness Club FitnessClub@c...

Fitness Club

CERN Multimedia

Fitness Club

2012-01-01

Get in Shape for Summer with the CERN Fitness Club Saturday 23 June 2012 from 14:30 to 16.30 (doors open at 14.00) Germana’s Fitness Workshop. Build strength and stamina, sculpt and tone your body and get your heart pumping with Germana’s workout mixture of Cardio Attack, Power Pump, Power Step, Cardio Combat and Cross-Training. Where: 216 (Pump room – equipped with changing rooms and showers). What to wear: comfortable clothes and indoor sports shoes + bring a drink! How much: 15 chf Sign up here: https://espace.cern.ch/club-fitness/Lists/Test_Subscription/NewForm.aspx? Join the Party and dance yourself into shape at Marco + Marials Zumba Masterclass. Saturday 30 June 2012 from 15:00 to 16:30 Marco + Mariel’s Zumba Masterclass Where: 216 (Pump room – equipped with changing rooms and showers). What to wear: comfortable clothes and indoor sports shoes + bring a drink! How much: 25 chf Sign up here: https://espace.cern.ch/club-fitness/Lists/Zumba%20...

Fitness Club

CERN Multimedia

Fitness Club

2012-01-01

  The CERN Fitness Club is pleased to announce its new early morning class which will be taking place on: Tuesdays from 24th April 07:30 to 08:15 216 (Pump Hall, close to entrance C) – Facilities include changing rooms and showers. The Classes: The early morning classes will focus on workouts which will help you build not only strength and stamina, but will also improve your balance, and coordination. Our qualified instructor Germana will accompany you throughout the workout  to ensure you stay motivated so you achieve the best results. Sign up and discover the best way to start your working day full of energy! How to subscribe? We invite you along to a FREE trial session, if you enjoy the activity, please sign up via our website: https://espace.cern.ch/club-fitness/Activities/SUBSCRIBE.aspx. * * * * * * * * Saturday 28th April Get in shape for the summer at our fitness workshop and zumba dance party: Fitness workshop with Germana 13:00 to 14:30 - 216 (Pump Hall) Price...

Curve fitting and modeling with splines using statistical variable selection techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, P. L.

1982-01-01

The successful application of statistical variable selection techniques to fit splines is demonstrated. Major emphasis is given to knot selection, but order determination is also discussed. Two FORTRAN backward elimination programs, using the B-spline basis, were developed. The program for knot elimination is compared in detail with two other spline-fitting methods and several statistical software packages. An example is also given for the two-variable case using a tensor product basis, with a theoretical discussion of the difficulties of their use.

Competitive Fitness of Fluconazole-Resistant Clinical Candida albicans Strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Popp, Christina; Hampe, Irene A I; Hertlein, Tobias; Ohlsen, Knut; Rogers, P David; Morschhäuser, Joachim

2017-07-01

The pathogenic yeast Candida albicans can develop resistance to the widely used antifungal agent fluconazole, which inhibits ergosterol biosynthesis. Resistance is often caused by gain-of-function mutations in the transcription factors Mrr1 and Tac1, which result in constitutive overexpression of multidrug efflux pumps, and Upc2, which result in constitutive overexpression of ergosterol biosynthesis genes. However, the deregulated gene expression that is caused by hyperactive forms of these transcription factors also reduces the fitness of the cells in the absence of the drug. To investigate whether fluconazole-resistant clinical C. albicans isolates have overcome the fitness costs of drug resistance, we assessed the relative fitness of C. albicans isolates containing resistance mutations in these transcription factors in competition with matched drug-susceptible isolates from the same patients. Most of the fluconazole-resistant isolates were outcompeted by the corresponding drug-susceptible isolates when grown in rich medium without fluconazole. On the other hand, some resistant isolates with gain-of-function mutations in MRR1 did not exhibit reduced fitness under these conditions. In a mouse model of disseminated candidiasis, three out of four tested fluconazole-resistant clinical isolates did not exhibit a significant fitness defect. However, all four fluconazole-resistant isolates were outcompeted by the matched susceptible isolates in a mouse model of gastrointestinal colonization, demonstrating that the effects of drug resistance on in vivo fitness depend on the host niche. Collectively, our results indicate that the fitness costs of drug resistance in C. albicans are not easily remediated, especially when proper control of gene expression is required for successful adaptation to life within a mammalian host. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Fitness Level Modulates Intraocular Pressure Responses to Strength Exercises.

Science.gov (United States)

Vera, Jesús; Jiménez, Raimundo; Redondo, Beatríz; Cárdenas, David; García-Ramos, Amador

2018-06-01

Purpose/Aim: The execution of strength exercises has demonstrated to increase the intraocular pressure (IOP) levels, and it may have a negative impact on the ocular health. We aimed to explore the influence of fitness level on the acute IOP response to strength exercises performed under different loading conditions, as well as to test whether the IOP responses differ between the bench press and jump squat when performed against the same relative loads. Forty military personnel males were divided in two subgroups (20 high-fit and 20 low-fit) based on their relative to body mass one-repetition maximum (1-RM). Participants performed an incremental loading test in the bench press and jump squat exercises, and IOP was assessed before and after each repetition by rebound tonometry. IOP increased immediately after executing both exercises (p e., high-fit and low-fit) and in both exercises (R 2 range: 0.81-1.00). Higher fitness level attenuated the IOP rise produced by both exercises (p < 0.01 in both cases). The bench press induced higher IOP increments than the jump squat for both groups at relative loads of ~50%1-RM and ~60%1-RM (p < 0.01 in all cases). These data indicate that IOP increases as a consequence of performing strength exercises, being the increment accentuated with the increase of the load and in the bench press compared to the jump squat exercise. Of special importance would be that the IOP responses were significantly reduced in high-fit individuals. These findings should be addressed in glaucoma patients.

Use of nutritional supplements by Danish elite athletes and fitness customers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Solheim, Sara Amalie; Nordsborg, Nikolai Baastrup; Ritz, Christian

2017-01-01

The nutritional supplement (NS) industry is one of the fastest growing in the world, and NS use in Denmark is among the highest in Europe. However, the exact use in elite athletes and fitness customers targeted for doping control is unknown. Information from 634 doping control forms obtained...... an association between NS and doping abuse. The present results demonstrate a very high prevalence of NS usage in both elite athletes and fitness customers. This highlights the importance of a strong national regulation of NS to avoid contamination of NS with doping substances....... in 2014 was evaluated (elite athletes: n = 361; fitness customers: n = 273). The majority of female (92.6%) and male (85.0%) elite athletes and female (100.0%) and male (94.0%) fitness customers declared using one or more NS. The use of non-ergogenic NS was more prevalent in women than in men...

High-order shock-fitted detonation propagation in high explosives

Science.gov (United States)

Romick, Christopher M.; Aslam, Tariq D.

2017-03-01

A highly accurate numerical shock and material interface fitting scheme composed of fifth-order spatial and third- or fifth-order temporal discretizations is applied to the two-dimensional reactive Euler equations in both slab and axisymmetric geometries. High rates of convergence are not typically possible with shock-capturing methods as the Taylor series analysis breaks down in the vicinity of discontinuities. Furthermore, for typical high explosive (HE) simulations, the effects of material interfaces at the charge boundary can also cause significant computational errors. Fitting a computational boundary to both the shock front and material interface (i.e. streamline) alleviates the computational errors associated with captured shocks and thus opens up the possibility of high rates of convergence for multi-dimensional shock and detonation flows. Several verification tests, including a Sedov blast wave, a Zel'dovich-von Neumann-Döring (ZND) detonation wave, and Taylor-Maccoll supersonic flow over a cone, are utilized to demonstrate high rates of convergence to nontrivial shock and reaction flows. Comparisons to previously published shock-capturing multi-dimensional detonations in a polytropic fluid with a constant adiabatic exponent (PF-CAE) are made, demonstrating significantly lower computational error for the present shock and material interface fitting method. For an error on the order of 10 m /s, which is similar to that observed in experiments, shock-fitting offers a computational savings on the order of 1000. In addition, the behavior of the detonation phase speed is examined for several slab widths to evaluate the detonation performance of PBX 9501 while utilizing the Wescott-Stewart-Davis (WSD) model, which is commonly used in HE modeling. It is found that the thickness effect curve resulting from this equation of state and reaction model using published values is dramatically more steep than observed in recent experiments. Utilizing the present fitting

Revisiting the Global Electroweak Fit of the Standard Model and Beyond with Gfitter

CERN Document Server

Flächer, Henning; Haller, J; Höcker, A; Mönig, K; Stelzer, J

2009-01-01

The global fit of the Standard Model to electroweak precision data, routinely performed by the LEP electroweak working group and others, demonstrated impressively the predictive power of electroweak unification and quantum loop corrections. We have revisited this fit in view of (i) the development of the new generic fitting package, Gfitter, allowing flexible and efficient model testing in high-energy physics, (ii) the insertion of constraints from direct Higgs searches at LEP and the Tevatron, and (iii) a more thorough statistical interpretation of the results. Gfitter is a modular fitting toolkit, which features predictive theoretical models as independent plugins, and a statistical analysis of the fit results using toy Monte Carlo techniques. The state-of-the-art electroweak Standard Model is fully implemented, as well as generic extensions to it. Theoretical uncertainties are explicitly included in the fit through scale parameters varying within given error ranges. This paper introduces the Gfitter projec...

Autism as the Low-Fitness Extreme of a Parentally Selected Fitness Indicator.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaner, Andrew; Miller, Geoffrey; Mintz, Jim

2008-12-01

Siblings compete for parental care and feeding, while parents must allocate scarce resources to those offspring most likely to survive and reproduce. This could cause offspring to evolve traits that advertise health, and thereby attract parental resources. For example, experimental evidence suggests that bright orange filaments covering the heads of North American coot chicks may have evolved for this fitness-advertising purpose. Could any human mental disorders be the equivalent of dull filaments in coot chicks-low-fitness extremes of mental abilities that evolved as fitness indicators? One possibility is autism. Suppose that the ability of very young children to charm their parents evolved as a parentally selected fitness indicator. Young children would vary greatly in their ability to charm parents, that variation would correlate with underlying fitness, and autism could be the low-fitness extreme of this variation. This view explains many seemingly disparate facts about autism and leads to some surprising and testable predictions.

Physical Fitness of Cleaners in Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran, November 2012

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Adi Wibisono Sulistijo

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Cleaning is an occupation that is carried out worldwide in many different environments. Cleaning workers (cleaners often have low occupational skills and belong to the less advantaged educational and socioeconomic groups. Because of the high physical work demands and low cardiorespiratory fitness, cleaners have the risk to have cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to measure the 5 components of physical fitness (cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle endurance, muscle strength, flexibility and body composition of cleaners in Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran. Methods: A descriptive study was carried out to all cleaners (31 persons of Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran in November 2012. The subjects were tested for cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle endurance, muscle strength, flexibility and body composition. The results were categorized using the standard of Ministry of Health Republic Indonesia. Results: From 31 subjects, cardiorespiratory endurance was in poor category (50%. Shoulder and hand muscle endurance was in poor category (54.8% and stomach muscle endurance was in very poor category (67.7%. Hand−grip muscular strength was in very poor category: right hand (80.7% and left hand (87.1%. Back muscle strength was in poor category (58.1%. Leg muscular strength was in very poor category (48.4%. Flexibility was in a very good category (97% and body composition was also in a good category (54.8%. Conclusions: From 5 components of cleaners’ physical fitness, 3 components (cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle endurance and muscular strength are in poor and very poor category.

Dynamic Price Dispersion of Storable Goods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gao, Cixiu

2014-01-01

with different search costs and willingness to wait. I demonstrate that the high-price-low-price pattern is rational for storable goods. In a Markov-perfect equilibrium, agents’ actions depend on consumer inventory, and purchase decisions are characterized by a critical price. The equilibrium price series...

Importance of a balanced diet on the physical fitness level of schoolchildren aged 6-12.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Louisa; Wong, Thomas; Chung, Joanne Wai Yee

2010-09-01

Previous studies have focused on a single nutrient's relationship with disease and thus are unable to strongly support the health claims of a balanced diet. This article explores the integrated effect of nine nutrients on an individual's physical fitness level. Two-day dietary records and physical fitness assessments were collected in three primary schools. Cluster analysis allowed compliance with nutrient recommendations to be compared among groups of primary school students with different characteristics. Two clusters were identified statistically. Cluster B, which comprised more schoolchildren at the 'Good' and 'Pass' levels and fewer at the 'Excellent' level, had significantly more participants who met the guidelines for total fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol, compared with Cluster A. This finding reveals the benefits of a balanced diet, with physical fitness level as the outcome measure. The results also have implications for approaching health problems from the diet-fitness perspective rather than the obesity-disease perspective.

Estimation and prediction of maximum daily rainfall at Sagar Island using best fit probability models

Science.gov (United States)

Mandal, S.; Choudhury, B. U.

2015-07-01

Sagar Island, setting on the continental shelf of Bay of Bengal, is one of the most vulnerable deltas to the occurrence of extreme rainfall-driven climatic hazards. Information on probability of occurrence of maximum daily rainfall will be useful in devising risk management for sustaining rainfed agrarian economy vis-a-vis food and livelihood security. Using six probability distribution models and long-term (1982-2010) daily rainfall data, we studied the probability of occurrence of annual, seasonal and monthly maximum daily rainfall (MDR) in the island. To select the best fit distribution models for annual, seasonal and monthly time series based on maximum rank with minimum value of test statistics, three statistical goodness of fit tests, viz. Kolmogorove-Smirnov test (K-S), Anderson Darling test ( A 2 ) and Chi-Square test ( X 2) were employed. The fourth probability distribution was identified from the highest overall score obtained from the three goodness of fit tests. Results revealed that normal probability distribution was best fitted for annual, post-monsoon and summer seasons MDR, while Lognormal, Weibull and Pearson 5 were best fitted for pre-monsoon, monsoon and winter seasons, respectively. The estimated annual MDR were 50, 69, 86, 106 and 114 mm for return periods of 2, 5, 10, 20 and 25 years, respectively. The probability of getting an annual MDR of >50, >100, >150, >200 and >250 mm were estimated as 99, 85, 40, 12 and 03 % level of exceedance, respectively. The monsoon, summer and winter seasons exhibited comparatively higher probabilities (78 to 85 %) for MDR of >100 mm and moderate probabilities (37 to 46 %) for >150 mm. For different recurrence intervals, the percent probability of MDR varied widely across intra- and inter-annual periods. In the island, rainfall anomaly can pose a climatic threat to the sustainability of agricultural production and thus needs adequate adaptation and mitigation measures.

Screen time impairs the relationship between physical fitness and academic attainment in children

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Macarena M. Aguilar

2015-08-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was twofold: to analyze the association between physical fitness and academic attainment, and to determine the influence of screen time on the association between physical fitness and academic attainment.METHODS: A cross-sectional study including 395 schoolchildren from seven schools of the Maule Region, Chile (mean age 12.1 years; 50.4% boys participated in the autumn of 2014 (March to June. Self-reported physical activity and screen time were evaluated. The study measured academic achievement (mean of the grades obtained in several core subjects, physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength, weight, height, parental education, and socioeconomic status. Linear regression analysis was used to analyze the relationships between physical fitness and academic attainment after adjusting for potential confounders by gender. Analysis of variance was used to analyze the differences in academic attainment according to fitness and screen time categories (< 2 hours/day and ≥ 2 hours/day.RESULTS: In both genders good cardiorespiratory fitness levels were associated with high language (ß = 0.272-0.153 and mean academic attainment (ß = 0.192-0.156 grades; however, after adjusting for screen time and other potential confounders, these associations disappear. Similarly, no relationship was observed after analyzing those children who spend more hours of screen time (≥ 2 hours/day.CONCLUSIONS: Academic attainment is associated with higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels; however, it was weakly impaired by screen time. These findings seem to suggest that parents and policymakers should minimize the negative effects of screen time on children's lives to maximize the beneficial effect of healthy habits on academic attainment.

Screen time impairs the relationship between physical fitness and academic attainment in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Aguilar, Macarena M; Vergara, Felipe A; Velásquez, Erikson J A; Marina, Raquel; García-Hermoso, Antonio

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was twofold: to analyze the association between physical fitness and academic attainment, and to determine the influence of screen time on the association between physical fitness and academic attainment. A cross-sectional study including 395 schoolchildren from seven schools of the Maule Region, Chile (mean age 12.1 years; 50.4% boys) participated in the autumn of 2014 (March to June). Self-reported physical activity and screen time were evaluated. The study measured academic achievement (mean of the grades obtained in several core subjects), physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength), weight, height, parental education, and socioeconomic status. Linear regression analysis was used to analyze the relationships between physical fitness and academic attainment after adjusting for potential confounders by gender. Analysis of variance was used to analyze the differences in academic attainment according to fitness and screen time categories (< 2 hours/day and ≥ 2 hours/day). In both genders good cardiorespiratory fitness levels were associated with high language (β=0.272-0.153) and mean academic attainment (β=0.192-0.156) grades; however, after adjusting for screen time and other potential confounders, these associations disappear. Similarly, no relationship was observed after analyzing those children who spend more hours of screen time (≥ 2 hours/day). Academic attainment is associated with higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels; however, it was weakly impaired by screen time. These findings seem to suggest that parents and policymakers should minimize the negative effects of screen time on children's lives to maximize the beneficial effect of healthy habits on academic attainment. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Getting CSR communication fit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmeltz, Line

2017-01-01

Companies experience increasing legal and societal pressure to communicate about their corporate social responsibility (CSR) engagements from a number of different publics. One very important group is that of young consumers who are predicted to be the most important and influential consumer group...... in the near future. From a value- theoretical base, this article empirically explores the role and applicability of ‘fit’ in strategic CSR communication targeted at young consumers. Point of departure is taken in the well-known strategic fit (a logical link between a company’s CSR commitment and its core...... values) and is further developed by introducing two additional fits, the CSR- Consumer fit and the CSR-Consumer-Company fit (Triple Fit). Through a sequential design, the three fits are empirically tested and their potential for meeting young consumers’ expectations for corporate CSR messaging...

Automated ligand fitting by core-fragment fitting and extension into density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terwilliger, Thomas C.; Klei, Herbert; Adams, Paul D.; Moriarty, Nigel W.; Cohn, Judith D.

2006-01-01

An automated ligand-fitting procedure has been developed and tested on 9327 ligands and (F o − F c )exp(iϕ c ) difference density from macromolecular structures in the Protein Data Bank. A procedure for fitting of ligands to electron-density maps by first fitting a core fragment of the ligand to density and then extending the remainder of the ligand into density is presented. The approach was tested by fitting 9327 ligands over a wide range of resolutions (most are in the range 0.8-4.8 Å) from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) into (F o − F c )exp(iϕ c ) difference density calculated using entries from the PDB without these ligands. The procedure was able to place 58% of these 9327 ligands within 2 Å (r.m.s.d.) of the coordinates of the atoms in the original PDB entry for that ligand. The success of the fitting procedure was relatively insensitive to the size of the ligand in the range 10–100 non-H atoms and was only moderately sensitive to resolution, with the percentage of ligands placed near the coordinates of the original PDB entry for fits in the range 58–73% over all resolution ranges tested

Error estimation and global fitting in transverse-relaxation dispersion experiments to determine chemical-exchange parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishima, Rieko; Torchia, Dennis A.

2005-01-01

Off-resonance effects can introduce significant systematic errors in R 2 measurements in constant-time Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) transverse relaxation dispersion experiments. For an off-resonance chemical shift of 500 Hz, 15 N relaxation dispersion profiles obtained from experiment and computer simulation indicated a systematic error of ca. 3%. This error is three- to five-fold larger than the random error in R 2 caused by noise. Good estimates of total R 2 uncertainty are critical in order to obtain accurate estimates in optimized chemical exchange parameters and their uncertainties derived from χ 2 minimization of a target function. Here, we present a simple empirical approach that provides a good estimate of the total error (systematic + random) in 15 N R 2 values measured for the HIV protease. The advantage of this empirical error estimate is that it is applicable even when some of the factors that contribute to the off-resonance error are not known. These errors are incorporated into a χ 2 minimization protocol, in which the Carver-Richards equation is used fit the observed R 2 dispersion profiles, that yields optimized chemical exchange parameters and their confidence limits. Optimized parameters are also derived, using the same protein sample and data-fitting protocol, from 1 H R 2 measurements in which systematic errors are negligible. Although 1 H and 15 N relaxation profiles of individual residues were well fit, the optimized exchange parameters had large uncertainties (confidence limits). In contrast, when a single pair of exchange parameters (the exchange lifetime, τ ex , and the fractional population, p a ), were constrained to globally fit all R 2 profiles for residues in the dimer interface of the protein, confidence limits were less than 8% for all optimized exchange parameters. In addition, F-tests showed that quality of the fits obtained using τ ex , p a as global parameters were not improved when these parameters were free to fit the R

Contribution of radiobiology to the problem of general fitness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vacha, J.

1976-01-01

On the basis of the present scarce literary data it can be taken as proved that between the numerous properties of the organism usually considered as biologically valuable (high fertility, longevity, higher body weight, resistance to fasting, radiation, and infection agents, certain favorable parameters of CNS) there exist many single and multiple positive correlations. The existence of these correlations allows for the introduction of the working concept of general fitness, stimulating further interdisciplinary research in this field important both in practice and theory. Most correlated manifestations of fitness demonstrated a masked influence of the organism's genotype even though the manner of this manifestation on the phenotype level remains considerably obscure. The efficiency of the haematopoietic system is doubtless one of the mechanisms of general fitness; it is determined by the very complex coordination of several cytokinetic parameters. Important factors are the efficiency of regulation mechanisms at CNS level, the endocrine system, and the regulators of cell populations. Generally highest fitness is connected with a ''balanced'' regulation type, which is characterized by optimal activation of the homeostatic regulation mechanism. In studying the causes of general fitness a systems approach is inevitable which evaluates the levels of individual factors not ''mechanically'' or linearly but from the point of view of the needs of the whole organism and with the application of concepts established by the systems theory (e.g. by the theory of automatic regulation). The sensitivity of an organism to irradiation with ionizing radiation turns out to be a suitable criterion of its general fitness. (author)

Childhood cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness and adult measures of glucose homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraser, Brooklyn J; Blizzard, Leigh; Schmidt, Michael D; Juonala, Markus; Dwyer, Terence; Venn, Alison J; Magnussen, Costan G

2018-02-14

To assess whether childhood cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscular fitness phenotypes (strength, power, endurance) predict adult glucose homeostasis measures. Prospective longitudinal study. Study examining participants who had physical fitness measured in childhood (aged 7-15 years) and who attended follow-up clinics approximately 20 years later and provided a fasting blood sample which was tested for glucose and insulin. Physical fitness measurements included muscular strength (right and left grip, shoulder flexion, shoulder and leg extension), power (standing long jump distance) and endurance (number of push-ups in 30s), and CRF (1.6km run duration). In adulthood, fasting glucose and insulin levels were used to derive glucose homeostasis measures of insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR) and beta cell function (HOMA2-β). A standard deviation increase in childhood CRF or muscular strength (males) was associated with fasting glucose (CRF: β=-0.06mmol/L), fasting insulin (CRF: β=-0.73mU/L; strength: β=-0.40mU/L), HOMA2-IR (CRF: β=-0.06; strength: β=-0.05) and HOMA2-β (CRF: β=-3.06%; strength: β=-2.62%) in adulthood, independent of the alternative fitness phenotype (all p0.06). CRF and muscular fitness in childhood were inversely associated with measures of fasting insulin, insulin resistance and beta cell function in adulthood. Childhood CRF and muscular fitness could both be potential independent targets for strategies to help reduce the development of adverse glucose homeostasis. Copyright © 2018 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparison of approaches in fitting continuum SEDs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yao; Wang Hong-Chi; Madlener David; Wolf Sebastian

2013-01-01

We present a detailed comparison of two approaches, the use of a pre-calculated database and simulated annealing (SA), for fitting the continuum spectral energy distribution (SED) of astrophysical objects whose appearance is dominated by surrounding dust. While pre-calculated databases are commonly used to model SED data, only a few studies to date employed SA due to its unclear accuracy and convergence time for this specific problem. From a methodological point of view, different approaches lead to different fitting quality, demand on computational resources and calculation time. We compare the fitting quality and computational costs of these two approaches for the task of SED fitting to provide a guide to the practitioner to find a compromise between desired accuracy and available resources. To reduce uncertainties inherent to real datasets, we introduce a reference model resembling a typical circumstellar system with 10 free parameters. We derive the SED of the reference model with our code MC3 D at 78 logarithmically distributed wavelengths in the range [0.3 μm, 1.3 mm] and use this setup to simulate SEDs for the database and SA. Our result directly demonstrates the applicability of SA in the field of SED modeling, since the algorithm regularly finds better solutions to the optimization problem than a pre-calculated database. As both methods have advantages and shortcomings, a hybrid approach is preferable. While the database provides an approximate fit and overall probability distributions for all parameters deduced using Bayesian analysis, SA can be used to improve upon the results returned by the model grid.

Person-organization fit as a mediator of relationship between work environment and stress among social workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Małgorzata Waszkowska

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Occupational stress of social workers is associated with various psychosocial hazards in the work environment. Some of them affect person-organization fit (P-O fit. The aim of the study was to verify a hypothesis on the mediating role of P-O fit in the relationship between work environment and stress. Material and Methods: The research was based on a sample of 500 social workers directly involved in social work. The data were obtained using the Person-Organization Fit Questionnaire by Czarnota-Bojarska, the Work Environment Questionnaire developed by the Department of Occupational Psychology, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10 by Cohen et al. Results: As revealed by the regression analysis of the 4 analyzed work environment factors, only organizational politics was significantly related with perceived stress. Complementary and supplementary dimensions of P-O fit and identification with organization were the mediators of the relationship between organizational policies and stress, but only complementary fit proved to be a total mediator. Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that person-organization fit, especially its complementary aspect, is an essential determinant of accomplishing the core functions of social work and good practice among social workers. Med Pr 2014;65(2:219–228

Physical fitness of rural children and adolescents on the example of Polish pupils from the School Complex in Ołdaki

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Karolina Dąbrowska

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate physical fitness of rural children and adolescents on the example of pupils of the School Complex in Ołdaki, Poland. Material and method: The study covered 79 pupils of grades IV–VI of the primary school and I–III of the lower secondary school of the School Complex in Ołdaki. The study used K. Zuchora’s Index of Physical Fitness and a diagnostic survey method based on the author-prepared questionnaire. Results: The study conducted among pupils of the School Complex in Ołdaki showed that physical fitness of children and adolescents from the countryside was at a relatively good level. Of the components of the Index of Physical Fitness, the worst results were obtained for abdominal muscle strength. However, the subjects showed very good flexibility, endurance and speed. Girls and boys obtained similar test results. Striking is the fact that the oldest subjects, i.e. pupils in grade III of the lower secondary school, obtained the worst results both in the entire test and in individual exercises. Conclusions: The pupils knew how to take care of their health; they were able to indicate the benefits of being physically active, were eager to take part in physical education classes and actively spent their free time. They mostly believed that they could eat healthy. Only a small percentage of pupils admitted to have had contact with stimulants and fast-foods, which was a confirmation of the fact that they were taking good care of their health. Fitness tests proved that the pupils’ fitness was at a satisfactory level. There was no noticeable difference in the results obtained by girls and boys, which indicated similar performance in all pupils. The evaluation of the pupils’ activity in their free time proved that they were more willing to spend it actively, most often playing football and cycling 2–3 times a week.

Fitness ranking of individual mutants drives patterns of epistatic interactions in HIV-1.

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Javier P Martínez

Full Text Available Fitness interactions between mutations, referred to as epistasis, can strongly impact evolution. For RNA viruses and retroviruses with their high mutation rates, epistasis may be particularly important to overcome fitness losses due to the accumulation of deleterious mutations and thus could influence the frequency of mutants in a viral population. As human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 resistance to azidothymidine (AZT requires selection of sequential mutations, it is a good system to study the impact of epistasis. Here we present a thorough analysis of a classical AZT-resistance pathway (the 41-215 cluster of HIV-1 variants by fitness measurements in single round infection assays covering physiological drug concentrations ex vivo. The sign and value of epistasis varied and did not predict the epistatic effect on the mutant frequency. This complex behavior is explained by the fitness ranking of the variants that strongly depends on environmental factors, i.e., the presence and absence of drugs and the host cells used. Although some interactions compensate fitness losses, the observed small effect on the relative mutant frequencies suggests that epistasis might be inefficient as a buffering mechanism for fitness losses in vivo. While the use of epistasis-based hypotheses to make general assumptions on the evolutionary dynamics of viral populations is appealing, our data caution their interpretation without further knowledge on the characteristics of the viral mutant spectrum under different environmental conditions.

Neighborhood scale quantification of ecosystem goods and ...

Science.gov (United States)

Ecosystem goods and services are those ecological structures and functions that humans can directly relate to their state of well-being. Ecosystem goods and services include, but are not limited to, a sufficient fresh water supply, fertile lands to produce agricultural products, shading, air and water of sufficient quality for designated uses, flood water retention, and places to recreate. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Office of Research and Development’s Tampa Bay Ecosystem Services Demonstration Project (TBESDP) modeling efforts organized existing literature values for biophysical attributes and processes related to EGS. The goal was to develop a database for informing mapped-based EGS assessments for current and future land cover/use scenarios at multiple scales. This report serves as a demonstration of applying an EGS assessment approach at the large neighborhood scale (~1,000 acres of residential parcels plus common areas). Here, we present mapped inventories of ecosystem goods and services production at a neighborhood scale within the Tampa Bay, FL region. Comparisons of the inventory between two alternative neighborhood designs are presented as an example of how one might apply EGS concepts at this scale.

Surface Fitting for Quasi Scattered Data from Coordinate Measuring Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Qing; Liu, Shugui; Wang, Sen; Ma, Xinhui

2018-01-13

Non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) surface fitting from data points is wildly used in the fields of computer aided design (CAD), medical imaging, cultural relic representation and object-shape detection. Usually, the measured data acquired from coordinate measuring systems is neither gridded nor completely scattered. The distribution of this kind of data is scattered in physical space, but the data points are stored in a way consistent with the order of measurement, so it is named quasi scattered data in this paper. Therefore they can be organized into rows easily but the number of points in each row is random. In order to overcome the difficulty of surface fitting from this kind of data, a new method based on resampling is proposed. It consists of three major steps: (1) NURBS curve fitting for each row, (2) resampling on the fitted curve and (3) surface fitting from the resampled data. Iterative projection optimization scheme is applied in the first and third step to yield advisable parameterization and reduce the time cost of projection. A resampling approach based on parameters, local peaks and contour curvature is proposed to overcome the problems of nodes redundancy and high time consumption in the fitting of this kind of scattered data. Numerical experiments are conducted with both simulation and practical data, and the results show that the proposed method is fast, effective and robust. What's more, by analyzing the fitting results acquired form data with different degrees of scatterness it can be demonstrated that the error introduced by resampling is negligible and therefore it is feasible.

Gravity with Intermediate Goods Trade

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Sujin Jang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper derives the gravity equation with intermediate goods trade. We extend a standard monopolistic competition model to incorporate intermediate goods trade, and show that the gravity equation with intermediates trade is identical to the one without it except in that gross output should be used as the output measure instead of value added. We also show that the output elasticity of trade is significantly underestimated when value added is used as the output measure. This implies that with the conventional gravity equation, the contribution of output growth can be substantially underestimated and the role of trade costs reduction can be exaggerated in explaining trade expansion, as we demonstrate for the case of Korea's trade growth between 1995 and 2007.

Fitness: Tips for Staying Motivated

Science.gov (United States)

Healthy Lifestyle Fitness Fitness is for life. Motivate yourself with these practical tips. By Mayo Clinic Staff Have ... 27, 2015 Original article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/fitness/art-20047624 . Mayo Clinic ...

Dynamical fit to low-energy π-N phase shifts and determination of the threshold parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunet, R.C.

1977-01-01

For the description of low-energy πN scattering, [1/1] Pade approximants have had limited success starting from Lagrangian-induced power series. We have shown elsewhere that, from a formal power series whose generating kernel can in principle be approximated by a kernel of finite rank N, we can construct a democratic approximant A/sup N/ with N perturbative terms which provides as good an approximation to the true solution as a Pade approximant [N/N] with 2N perturbative terms. Here we use the two available orders of perturbative terms g 2 and g 4 of the Lagrangian gpsi-tildeγ 5 psiphi to construct a democratic approximant A/sup N/ 2 . We apply it to the low-energy πN phase-shift analysis of Carter, Bugg, and Carter and show empirically that a reasonably good fit can be obtained in the low-energy region with the two available orders of perturbative terms. Extrapolating this fit to threshold we determine scattering lengths and effective ranges for S and P waves which are in reasonably good agreement with more conventional dispersion-relation determinations. The method indicates how the concept of Lagrangian can be made dynamically relevant in a strong-interaction context

The Association of Health-Related Fitness and Chronic Absenteeism Status in New York City Middle School Youth.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Agostino, Emily M; Day, Sophia E; Konty, Kevin J; Larkin, Michael; Saha, Subir; Wyka, Katarzyna

2018-03-23

Extensive research demonstrates the benefits of fitness on children's health and academic performance. Although decreases in health-related fitness may increase school absenteeism, multiple years of prospective, child-level data are needed to examine whether fitness changes predict subsequent chronic absenteeism status. Six cohorts of New York City public school students were followed from grades 5-8 (2006/2007-2012/2013; N = 349,381). A longitudinal 3-level logistic generalized linear mixed model with random intercepts was used to test the association of individual children's changes in fitness and 1-year lagged chronic absenteeism. The odds of chronic absenteeism increased 27% [odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25-1.30], 15% (OR 95% CI, 1.13-1.18), 9% (OR 95% CI, 1.07-1.11), and 1% (OR 95% CI, 0.98-1.04), for students who had a >20% decrease, 10%-20% decrease, 20% fitness increase. These findings contribute important longitudinal evidence to a cross-sectional literature, demonstrating reductions in youth fitness may increase absenteeism. Given only 25% of youth aged 12-15 years achieve the recommended daily 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity, future work should examine the potential for youth fitness interventions to reduce absenteeism and foster positive attitudes toward lifelong physical activity.

A person-environment fit approach to volunteerism : Volunteer personality fit and culture fit as predictors of affective outcomes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Vianen, Annelies E. M.; Nijstad, Bernard A.; Voskuijl, Olga F.

2008-01-01

This study employed a person-environment (P-E) fit approach to explaining volunteer satisfaction, affective commitment, and turnover intentions. It was hypothesized that personality fit would explain additional variance in volunteer affective outcomes above and beyond motives to volunteer. This

A person-environment fit approach to volunteerism: Volunteer personality-fit and culture-fit as predictors of affective outcomes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Vianen, A.E.M.; Nijstad, B.A.; Voskuijl, O.F.

2008-01-01

This study employed a person-environment (P-E) fit approach to explaining volunteer satisfaction, affective commitment, and turnover intentions. It was hypothesized that personality fit would explain additional variance in volunteer affective outcomes above and beyond motives to volunteer. This

A Critical Examination of Figure of Merit (FOM). Assessing the Goodness-of-Fit in Gamma/X-ray Peak Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Croft, S. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Favalli, Andrea [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Weaver, Brian Phillip [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Williams, Brian J. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Burr, Thomas Lee [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria); Henzlova, Daniela [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); McElroy, R. D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2015-10-06

In this paper we develop and investigate several criteria for assessing how well a proposed spectral form fits observed spectra. We consider the classical improved figure of merit (FOM) along with several modifications, as well as criteria motivated by Poisson regression from the statistical literature. We also develop a new FOM that is based on the statistical idea of the bootstrap. A spectral simulator has been developed to assess the performance of these different criteria under multiple data configurations.

Physical Fitness: Get Your Body Moving

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Direct fitness of group living mammals varies with breeding strategy, climate and fitness estimates.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebensperger, Luis A; Rivera, Daniela S; Hayes, Loren D

2012-09-01

1. Understanding how variation in fitness relates to variation in group living remains critical to determine whether this major aspect of social behaviour is currently adaptive. 2. Available evidence in social mammals aimed to examine this issue remains controversial. Studies show positive (i.e. potentially adaptive), neutral or even negative fitness effects of group living. 3. Attempts to explain this variation rely on intrinsic and extrinsic factors to social groups. Thus, relatively more positive fitness effects are predicted in singularly breeding as opposed to plural breeding species. Fitness effects of sociality in turn may depend on ecological conditions (i.e. extrinsic factors) that influence associated benefits and costs. 4. We used meta-analytic tools to review how breeding strategy or ecological conditions influence the effect size associated with direct fitness-sociality relationships reported in the mammalian literature. Additionally, we determined how taxonomic affiliation of species studied, different fitness and sociality measures used, and major climatic conditions of study sites explained any variation in direct fitness effect size. 5. We found group living had modest, yet positive effects on direct fitness. This generally adaptive scenario was contingent not only upon breeding strategy and climate of study sites, but also on fitness measures examined. Thus, positive and significant effects characterized singular as opposed to plural breeding strategies. 6. We found more positive fitness effects on studies conducted in tropical as opposed to temperate or arid climates. More positive and significant effects were noted on studies that relied on group fecundity, male fecundity and offspring survival as measures of fitness. 7. To conclude, direct fitness consequences of mammalian group living are driven by interspecific differences in breeding strategy and climate conditions. Other factors not examined in this study, namely individual variation in

Clarification of the use of chi-square and likelihood functions in fits to histograms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, S.; Cousins, R.D.

1984-01-01

We consider the problem of fitting curves to histograms in which the data obey multinomial or Poisson statistics. Techniques commonly used by physicists are examined in light of standard results found in the statistics literature. We review the relationship between multinomial and Poisson distributions, and clarify a sufficient condition for equality of the area under the fitted curve and the number of events on the histogram. Following the statisticians, we use the likelihood ratio test to construct a general Z 2 statistic, Zsub(lambda) 2 , which yields parameter and error estimates identical to those of the method of maximum likelihood. The Zsub(lambda) 2 statistic is further useful for testing goodness-of-fit since the value of its minimum asymptotically obeys a classical chi-square distribution. One should be aware, however, of the potential for statistical bias, especially when the number of events is small. (orig.)

Using Sport Education to Implement a CrossFit Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Sibley, Benjamin A.

2012-01-01

The sport education (SE) model has been used extensively to teach sports at the middle and high school levels, and the flexibility of the model has been demonstrated in its application to fitness units as well. Infusing new content into this well-established and familiar curricular model can increase student motivation and interest while…

Riboflavin Provisioning Underlies Wolbachia's Fitness Contribution to Its Insect Host.

Science.gov (United States)

Moriyama, Minoru; Nikoh, Naruo; Hosokawa, Takahiro; Fukatsu, Takema

2015-11-10

Endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Wolbachia represent the most successful symbiotic bacteria in the terrestrial ecosystem. The success of Wolbachia has been ascribed to its remarkable phenotypic effects on host reproduction, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, whereby maternally inherited bacteria can spread in their host populations at the expense of their host's fitness. Meanwhile, recent theoretical as well as empirical studies have unveiled that weak and/or conditional positive fitness effects may significantly facilitate invasion and spread of Wolbachia infections in host populations. Here, we report a previously unrecognized nutritional aspect, the provision of riboflavin (vitamin B2), that potentially underpins the Wolbachia-mediated fitness benefit to insect hosts. A comparative genomic survey for synthetic capability of B vitamins revealed that only the synthesis pathway for riboflavin is highly conserved among diverse insect-associated Wolbachia strains, while the synthesis pathways for other B vitamins were either incomplete or absent. Molecular phylogenetic and genomic analyses of riboflavin synthesis genes from diverse Wolbachia strains revealed that, in general, their phylogenetic relationships are concordant with Wolbachia's genomic phylogeny, suggesting that the riboflavin synthesis genes have been stably maintained in the course of Wolbachia evolution. In rearing experiments with bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) on blood meals in which B vitamin contents were manipulated, we demonstrated that Wolbachia's riboflavin provisioning significantly contributes to growth, survival, and reproduction of the insect host. These results provide a physiological basis upon which Wolbachia-mediated positive fitness consequences are manifested and shed new light on the ecological and evolutionary relevance of Wolbachia infections. Conventionally, Wolbachia has been regarded as a parasitic bacterial endosymbiont that manipulates the host insect's reproduction in a

Physical Education and Sport: Does Participation Relate to Physical Activity Patterns, Observed Fitness, and Personal Attitudes and Beliefs?

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Loprinzi, Paul D; Cardinal, Bradley J; Cardinal, Marita K; Corbin, Charles B

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between physical education (PE) and sports involvement with physical activity (PA), physical fitness, and beliefs about PA among a national sample of adolescents. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey National Youth Fitness Survey were used. A total of 459 adolescents aged 12 to 15 years. Adolescents self-reported engagement in the above parameters; muscular fitness objectively determined. Multivariable linear regression. Adolescents who had PE during school days had a higher enjoyment of participating in PE (β = 0.32; P = .01), engaged in more days of being physically active for ≥60 min/d (β = 1.02; P sports reported that more PA was needed for good health (β = 0.23; P = .04), had a higher enjoyment of participating in PE (β = 0.31; P = .003), engaged in more days of being physically active for ≥60 min/d (β = 0.70; P = .01), performed more pull-ups (β = 2.33; P = .008), had a stronger grip strength (β = 2.5; P = .01), and performed the plank fitness test longer (β = 11.6; P = .04). Adolescents who had PE during school, who had more frequent and long-lasting PE, and who played school sports generally had more accurate perceptions of the amount of PA needed for good health, had greater enjoyment of PE, were more physically active, and performed better on several muscular fitness-related tests. This underscores the importance of PE integration in the schools and encouragement of school sports participation.

Physical fitness level affects perception of chronic stress in military trainees.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuch, Carolin; Teubel, Thomas; La Marca, Roberto; Roos, Lilian; Annen, Hubert; Wyss, Thomas

2017-12-01

This study investigated whether physical fitness affects the perception of chronic stress in military trainees while controlling for established factors influencing stress perception. The sample consisted of 273 men (20.23 ± 1.12 years, 73.56 ± 10.52 kg, 1.78 ± 0.06 m). Physical fitness was measured by progressive endurance run (maximum oxygen uptake; VO 2 max), standing long jump, seated shot put, trunk muscle strength, and one leg standing test. Perceived stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Questionnaire in Weeks 1 and 11 of basic military training (BMT). VO 2 max and four influencing variables (perceived stress in Week 1, neuroticism, transformational leadership style, and education level) explained 44.44% of the variance of the increase in perceived stress during 10 weeks of BMT (R 2  = 0.444, F = 23.334, p good aerobic fitness on the varied level of perceived stress. We conclude that it is advisable to provide conscripts with a specific endurance training program prior to BMT for stress prevention reasons. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The best-fit universe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turner, M.S. (Fermi National Accelerator Lab., Batavia, IL (USA) Chicago Univ., IL (USA). Enrico Fermi Inst.)

1990-10-01

Inflation provides very strong motivation for a flat Universe, Harrison-Zel'dovich (constant-curvature) perturbations, and cold dark matter. However, there are a number of cosmological observations that conflict with the predictions of the simplest such model -- one with zero cosmological constant. They include the age of the Universe, dynamical determinations of {Omega}, galaxy-number counts, and the apparent abundance of large-scale structure in the Universe. While the discrepancies are not yet serious enough to rule out the simplest and most well motivated'' model, the current data point to a best-fit model'' with the following parameters: {Omega}{sub B} {approx equal} 0.03, {Omega}{sub CDM} {approx equal} 0.17, {Omega}{sub {Lambda}} {approx equal} 0.8, and H{sub 0} {approx equal} 70 km sec{sup {minus}1} Mpc{sup {minus}1}, which improves significantly the concordance with observations. While there is no good reason to expect such a value for the cosmological constant, there is no physical principle that would rule out such. 42 refs.

Single and combined effects of microcystin- and saxitoxin-producing cyanobacteria on the fitness and antioxidant defenses of cladocerans.

Science.gov (United States)

da S Ferrão-Filho, Aloysio; de Abreu S Silva, Daniel; de Oliveira, Taissa A; de Magalhães, Valéria Freitas; Pflugmacher, Stephan; da Silva, Eduardo Mendes

2017-10-01

Cyanobacteria produce different toxic compounds that affect animal life, among them hepatotoxins and neurotoxins. Because cyanobacteria are able to produce a variety of toxic compounds at the same time, organisms may be, generally, subjected to their combined action. In the present study, we demonstrate the single and combined effects on cladocerans of cyanobacteria that produce microcystins (hepatotoxins) and saxitoxins (neurotoxins). Animals were exposed (either singly or combined) to 2 strains of cyanobacteria isolated from the same environment (Funil Reservoir, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). The effects on clearance rate, mobility, survivorship, fecundity, population increase rate (r), and the antioxidant enzymes glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) were measured. Cladoceran species showed a variety of responses to cyanobacterial exposures, going from no effect to impairment of swimming movement, lower survivorship, fecundity, and general fitness (r). Animals ingested cyanobacteria in all treatments, although at lower rates than good food (green algae). Antioxidant defense responses were in accordance with fitness responses, suggesting that oxidative stress may be related to such effects. The present study emphasizes the need for testing combined actions of different classes of toxins, because this is often, and most likely, the scenario in a more eutrophic world with global climatic changes. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2689-2697. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Demonstrations in Solute Transport Using Dyes: Part II. Modeling.

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Butters, Greg; Bandaranayake, Wije

1993-01-01

A solution of the convection-dispersion equation is used to describe the solute breakthrough curves generated in the demonstrations in the companion paper. Estimation of the best fit model parameters (solute velocity, dispersion, and retardation) is illustrated using the method of moments for an example data set. (Author/MDH)

Preventive fraction of physical fitness on risk factors in cardiac patients: Retrospective epidemiological study.

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Caru, Maxime; Kern, Laurence; Bousquet, Marc; Curnier, Daniel

2018-04-26

To quantify the preventive fraction of physical fitness on the risk factors in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). A total of 249 subjects (205 men and 44 women) suffering from CVD were categorized into four groups, according to their percentage of physical fitness. We calculated the odds ratio to obtain the preventive fraction in order to evaluate the impact of the physical fitness level on the risk factors ( i.e ., abdominal obesity, depression, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, obesity, overweight and smoking). It is observed that a normal physical fitness level is sufficient to induce a preventive action on abdominal obesity (38%), diabetes (12%), hypertension (33%), obesity (12%) and overweight (11%). Also, the preventive fraction increases with the level of physical fitness, in particular for hypertension (36%) and overweight (16%). A high physical fitness level does not necessarily induce a preventive action in most risk factors, excluding depression. This is the first study which demonstrates that reaching a normal physical fitness level is enough to induce a protection for some risk factors, despite having a CVD.

Local Fitness Landscapes Predict Yeast Evolutionary Dynamics in Directionally Changing Environments.

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Gorter, Florien A; Aarts, Mark G M; Zwaan, Bas J; de Visser, J Arjan G M

2018-01-01

The fitness landscape is a concept that is widely used for understanding and predicting evolutionary adaptation. The topography of the fitness landscape depends critically on the environment, with potentially far-reaching consequences for evolution under changing conditions. However, few studies have assessed directly how empirical fitness landscapes change across conditions, or validated the predicted consequences of such change. We previously evolved replicate yeast populations in the presence of either gradually increasing, or constant high, concentrations of the heavy metals cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn), and analyzed their phenotypic and genomic changes. Here, we reconstructed the local fitness landscapes underlying adaptation to each metal by deleting all repeatedly mutated genes both by themselves and in combination. Fitness assays revealed that the height, and/or shape, of each local fitness landscape changed considerably across metal concentrations, with distinct qualitative differences between unconditionally (Cd) and conditionally toxic metals (Ni and Zn). This change in topography had particularly crucial consequences in the case of Ni, where a substantial part of the individual mutational fitness effects changed in sign across concentrations. Based on the Ni landscape analyses, we made several predictions about which mutations had been selected when during the evolution experiment. Deep sequencing of population samples from different time points generally confirmed these predictions, demonstrating the power of landscape reconstruction analyses for understanding and ultimately predicting evolutionary dynamics, even under complex scenarios of environmental change. Copyright © 2018 by the Genetics Society of America.

Histological Grading of Hepatocellular Carcinomas with Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Diffusion-weighted Imaging: Inconsistent Results Depending on the Fitting Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Ichikawa, Shintaro; Motosugi, Utaroh; Hernando, Diego; Morisaka, Hiroyuki; Enomoto, Nobuyuki; Matsuda, Masanori; Onishi, Hiroshi

2018-04-10

To compare the abilities of three intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging approximation methods to discriminate the histological grade of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Fifty-eight patients (60 HCCs) underwent IVIM imaging with 11 b-values (0-1000 s/mm 2 ). Slow (D) and fast diffusion coefficients (D * ) and the perfusion fraction (f) were calculated for the HCCs using the mean signal intensities in regions of interest drawn by two radiologists. Three approximation methods were used. First, all three parameters were obtained simultaneously using non-linear fitting (method A). Second, D was obtained using linear fitting (b = 500 and 1000), followed by non-linear fitting for D * and f (method B). Third, D was obtained by linear fitting, f was obtained using the regression line intersection and signals at b = 0, and non-linear fitting was used for D * (method C). A receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to reveal the abilities of these methods to distinguish poorly-differentiated from well-to-moderately-differentiated HCCs. Inter-reader agreements were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). The measurements of D, D * , and f in methods B and C (Az-value, 0.658-0.881) had better discrimination abilities than did those in method A (Az-value, 0.527-0.607). The ICCs of D and f were good to excellent (0.639-0.835) with all methods. The ICCs of D * were moderate with methods B (0.580) and C (0.463) and good with method A (0.705). The IVIM parameters may vary depending on the fitting methods, and therefore, further technical refinement may be needed.

Extensive fitness and human cooperation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hateren, J. H.

2015-01-01

Evolution depends on the fitness of organisms, the expected rate of reproducing. Directly getting offspring is the most basic form of fitness, but fitness can also be increased indirectly by helping genetically related individuals (such as kin) to increase their fitness. The combined effect is known

Impact of plant cover on fitness and behavioural traits of captive red-eyed tree frogs (Agalychnis callidryas.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher J Michaels

Full Text Available Despite the importance of ex situ conservation programmes as highlighted in the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan, there are few empirical studies that examine the influence of captive conditions on the fitness of amphibians, even for basic components of enclosure design such as cover provision. Maintaining the fitness of captive amphibian populations is essential to the success of ex situ conservation projects. Here we examined the impact of plant cover on measures of fitness and behaviour in captive red-eyed tree frogs (Agalychnis callidryas. We found significant effects of plant provision on body size, growth rates and cutaneous bacterial communities that together demonstrate a compelling fitness benefit from cover provision. We also demonstrate a strong behavioural preference for planted rather than non-planted areas. We also assessed the impact of plant provision on the abiotic environment in the enclosure as a potential driver of these behavioural and fitness effects. Together this data provides valuable information regarding enclosure design for a non-model amphibian species and has implications for amphibian populations maintained in captivity for conservation breeding programmes and research.

"Getting Fit Basically Just Means, Like, Nonfat": Children's Lessons in Fitness and Fatness

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Darren; Fitzpatrick, Katie

2015-01-01

Current concerns about a childhood obesity crisis and children's physical activity levels have combined to justify fitness lessons as a physical education practice in New Zealand primary (elementary) schools. Researchers focused on children's understandings of fitness lessons argue that they construct fitness as a quest for an "ideal"…

Measuring comprehensive outcomes in palliative care: validation of the Korean version of the Good Death Inventory.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Dong Wook; Choi, JiEun; Miyashita, Mitsunori; Choi, Jin Young; Kang, Jina; Baik, Young Ji; Mo, Ha Na; Choi, Jong Soon; Son, Young Sun; Lee, Hae Sook

2011-10-01

No systematic or comprehensive attempts have yet been made to assess quality of death as an indicator of palliative care outcomes in Korea, and no validated instruments exist for the assessment of a good death in Koreans. This study examined the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Good Death Inventory (GDI), which was developed in Japan to evaluate the quality of death from the perspective of bereaved family members. Forward and backward translations and a pilot test were conducted. In a multicenter cross-sectional survey, a questionnaire packet, including the GDI, overall quality of life during the last week, and overall satisfaction with care, was mailed to bereaved family members (n=501) of patients who had died from cancer two to six months before the study. Descriptive analyses were performed, including response rate, mean, median, skewness, and kurtosis for each item. The reliability of the GDI was tested by Cronbach's alpha. The dimensional structure was assessed using confirmatory factor analyses. Concurrent validity was tested by correlation with the overall quality of life and overall satisfaction with care. Participants were able to complete the GDI, and the compliance rates were satisfactory. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency was 0.93 overall and ranged from 0.69 to 0.94 for subdomains. The hypothesized 18-factor model of a good death appeared to fit the data (goodness of fit index [GFI]=0.964; adjusted GFI index=0.960; normal fit index=0.952). The overall scores on the GDI correlated with patients' quality of life (0.56; P<0.001) and overall satisfaction with care (0.44; P<0.001). The Korean version of the GDI is a reliable and valid measure of the comprehensive outcomes of palliative care from the perspective of bereaved Korean family members. Copyright © 2011 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adiposity, Aerobic Fitness, Muscle Fitness, and Markers of Inflammation in Children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steene-Johannessen, Jostein; Kolle, Elin; Andersen, Lars Bo

2013-01-01

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe levels of inflammation markers in Norwegian children and to examine the associations of adiposity, aerobic fitness and muscle fitness with markers of inflammation. METHODS: In 2005-2006, 1467 9-year-olds wererandomly selected from all regions...... explosive, isometric and endurance strength. Aerobic fitness was measured directly during a maximal cycle ergometer test. Adiposity was expressed as waist circumference (WC). RESULTS: The girls had significantly higher levels of CRP, leptin, adiponectin and resistin and lower levels of TNF-α compared...

Construct validity and test-retest reliability of the International Fitness Scale (IFIS) in Colombian children and adolescents aged 9-17.9 years: the FUPRECOL study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez-Vélez, Robinson; Cruz-Salazar, Sandra Milena; Martínez, Myriam; Cadore, Eduardo L; Alonso-Martinez, Alicia M; Correa-Bautista, Jorge E; Izquierdo, Mikel; Ortega, Francisco B; García-Hermoso, Antonio

2017-01-01

There is a lack of instruments and studies written in Spanish evaluating physical fitness, impeding the determination of the current status of this important health indicator in the Latin population, especially in Colombia. The aim of the study was two-fold: to examine the validity of the International Fitness Scale (IFIS) with a population-based sample of schoolchildren from Bogota, Colombia and to examine the reliability of the IFIS with children and adolescents from Engativa, Colombia. The sample comprised 1,873 Colombian youths (54.5% girls) aged 9-17.9 years. We measured their adiposity markers (waist-to-height ratio, skinfold thickness, percentage of body fat and body mass index), blood pressure, lipids profile, fasting glucose, and physical fitness level (self-reported and measured). A validated cardiometabolic risk index score was also used. An age- and sex-matched subsample of 229 schoolchildren who were not originally included in the sample completed the IFIS twice for reliability purposes. Our data suggest that both measured and self-reported overall physical fitness levels were inversely associated with percentage of body fat indicators and the cardiometabolic risk index score. Overall, schoolchildren who self-reported "good" or "very good" fitness had better measured fitness levels than those who reported "very poor/poor" fitness (all p  studies with Latin schoolchildren from Colombia.

Exercise addiction in CrossFit: Prevalence and psychometric properties of the Exercise Addiction Inventory.

Science.gov (United States)

Lichtenstein, Mia Beck; Jensen, Tanja Tang

2016-06-01

CrossFit is a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise regimes with the stated goal of improving fitness and physical performance. It is growing in popularity and has a strong community known to motivate and push the participants to maximal performance. The negative consequences of these extreme exercise patterns have rarely been described. The prevalence of injuries in CrossFit is high but exercise addiction and harmful exercise attitudes have not yet been assessed. The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of exercise addiction in CrossFit and to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI) in a CrossFit population. We invited crossfitters to participate in an online survey using Facebook groups. A total of 603 regular crossfitters completed the EAI and additional questions concerning exercise amounts and negative exercise attitudes and beliefs. We used principal component analyses and structural equation models to test the psychometric properties of the EAI and to describe the characteristics of the addicted crossfitters. We found that 5% of the crossfitters were addicted to exercise and that young males had a higher risk. The EAI had good internal reliability (0.73) and construct validity. Thus we found significant positive associations between exercise addiction and the tendency to exercise in spite of injury, feelings of guilt when unable to exercise, passion turning into obsession and taking medication to be able to exercise. Exercise addiction is prevalent in CrossFit and needs further exploration. The EAI is recommended for research in CrossFit communities and applied settings.

Computerized videokeratoscopy contact lens software for RGP fitting in a bilateral postkeratoplasty patient: a clinical case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Szczotka, L B; Reinhart, W

1995-01-01

Computerized videokeratoscopy systems now allow interactive rigid gas permeable (RGP) fitting evaluation using fluorescein pattern simulations through updated software programs. We used Computed Anatomy's Topographic Modeling System-1 (TMS-1) Custom Design Contact Lens Program successfully to refit a symptomatic bilateral post-penetrating keratoplasty patient. No trial lenses were used. For each eye the base curve, optic zone size, and edge lift were chosen from the optimal fluorescein pattern designed and titrated on the TMS-1 unit. Lens powers were based on the patient's previous lenses and overrefraction. Dispensed lenses provided a clinically acceptable fit, good comfort, and maximal visual acuity, and no adjustments were necessary. Corneal videokeratoscopy can be successfully employed to titrate an RGP fit, even on irregular corneas.

A Stepwise Fitting Procedure for automated fitting of Ecopath with Ecosim models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erin Scott

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The Stepwise Fitting Procedure automates testing of alternative hypotheses used for fitting Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE models to observation reference data (Mackinson et al. 2009. The calibration of EwE model predictions to observed data is important to evaluate any model that will be used for ecosystem based management. Thus far, the model fitting procedure in EwE has been carried out manually: a repetitive task involving setting >1000 specific individual searches to find the statistically ‘best fit’ model. The novel fitting procedure automates the manual procedure therefore producing accurate results and lets the modeller concentrate on investigating the ‘best fit’ model for ecological accuracy.

INVESTIGATION THE FITTING ACCURACY OF CAST AND SLM CO-CR DENTAL BRIDGES USING CAD SOFTWARE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsanka Dikova

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present paper is to investigate the fitting accuracy of Co-Cr dental bridges, manufactured by three technologies, with the newly developed method using CAD software. The four-part dental bridges of Co-Cr alloys were produced by conventional casting of wax models, casting with 3D printed patterns and selective laser melting. The marginal and internal fit of dental bridges was studied out by two methods – silicone replica test and CAD software. As the silicone replica test characterizes with comparatively low accuracy, a new methodology for investigating the fitting accuracy of dental bridges was developed based on the SolidWorks CAD software. The newly developed method allows the study of the marginal and internal adaptation in unlimited directions and high accuracy. Investigation the marginal fit and internal adaptation of Co-Cr four-part dental bridges by the two methods show that the technological process strongly influences the fitting accuracy of dental restorations. The fitting accuracy of the bridges, cast with 3D printed patterns, is the highest, followed by the SLM and conventionally cast bridges. The marginal fit of the three groups of bridges is in the clinically acceptable range. The internal gap values vary in different regions – it is highest on the occlusal surfaces, followed by that in the marginal and axial areas. The higher fitting accuracy of the bridges, manufactured by casting with 3D printed patterns and SLM, compared to the conventionally cast bridges is a good precondition for their successful implementation in the dental offices and laboratories.

Goodness-of-fit tests and model diagnostics for negative binomial regression of RNA sequencing data.

Science.gov (United States)

Mi, Gu; Di, Yanming; Schafer, Daniel W

2015-01-01

This work is about assessing model adequacy for negative binomial (NB) regression, particularly (1) assessing the adequacy of the NB assumption, and (2) assessing the appropriateness of models for NB dispersion parameters. Tools for the first are appropriate for NB regression generally; those for the second are primarily intended for RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data analysis. The typically small number of biological samples and large number of genes in RNA-Seq analysis motivate us to address the trade-offs between robustness and statistical power using NB regression models. One widely-used power-saving strategy, for example, is to assume some commonalities of NB dispersion parameters across genes via simple models relating them to mean expression rates, and many such models have been proposed. As RNA-Seq analysis is becoming ever more popular, it is appropriate to make more thorough investigations into power and robustness of the resulting methods, and into practical tools for model assessment. In this article, we propose simulation-based statistical tests and diagnostic graphics to address model adequacy. We provide simulated and real data examples to illustrate that our proposed methods are effective for detecting the misspecification of the NB mean-variance relationship as well as judging the adequacy of fit of several NB dispersion models.

AN EXACT GOODNESS-OF-FIT TEST BASED ON THE OCCUPANCY PROBLEMS TO STUDY ZERO-INFLATION AND ZERO-DEFLATION IN BIOLOGICAL DOSIMETRY DATA.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Fontelo, Amanda; Puig, Pedro; Ainsbury, Elizabeth A; Higueras, Manuel

2018-01-12

The goal in biological dosimetry is to estimate the dose of radiation that a suspected irradiated individual has received. For that, the analysis of aberrations (most commonly dicentric chromosome aberrations) in scored cells is performed and dose response calibration curves are built. In whole body irradiation (WBI) with X- and gamma-rays, the number of aberrations in samples is properly described by the Poisson distribution, although in partial body irradiation (PBI) the excess of zeros provided by the non-irradiated cells leads, for instance, to the Zero-Inflated Poisson distribution. Different methods are used to analyse the dosimetry data taking into account the distribution of the sample. In order to test the Poisson distribution against the Zero-Inflated Poisson distribution, several asymptotic and exact methods have been proposed which are focused on the dispersion of the data. In this work, we suggest an exact test for the Poisson distribution focused on the zero-inflation of the data developed by Rao and Chakravarti (Some small sample tests of significance for a Poisson distribution. Biometrics 1956; 12 : 264-82.), derived from the problems of occupancy. An approximation based on the standard Normal distribution is proposed in those cases where the computation of the exact test can be tedious. A Monte Carlo Simulation study was performed in order to estimate empirical confidence levels and powers of the exact test and other tests proposed in the literature. Different examples of applications based on in vitro data and also data recorded in several radiation accidents are presented and discussed. A Shiny application which computes the exact test and other interesting goodness-of-fit tests for the Poisson distribution is presented in order to provide them to all interested researchers. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Improving health-related fitness in adolescents: the CrossFit Teens™ randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Eather, Narelle; Morgan, Philip James; Lubans, David Revalds

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the preliminary efficacy and feasibility of the CrossFit Teens™ resistance training programme for improving health-related fitness and resistance training skill competency in adolescents. This assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial was conducted in one secondary school in the Hunter Region, Australia, from July to September 2013. Ninety-six (96) students (age = 15.4 (.5) years, 51.5% female) were randomised into intervention (n = 51) or control (n = 45) conditions for 8-weeks (60 min twice per week). Waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), BMI-Z score (primary outcomes), cardiorespiratory fitness (shuttle run test), muscular fitness (standing jump, push-up, handgrip, curl-up test), flexibility (sit and reach) and resistance training skill competency were measured at baseline and immediate post-intervention. Feasibility measures of recruitment, retention, adherence and satisfaction were assessed. Significant group-by-time intervention effects were found for waist circumference [-3.1 cm, P CrossFit Teens™ is a feasible and efficacious programme for improving health-related fitness in adolescents.

The fit of an X-ray diffraction profile by Fourier analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourniquel, B.; Feron, J.

1985-01-01

The fast Fourier transform algorithm commonly used for line profile analysis requires a list of values of the diffracted intensity with constant sintheta step; raw data are usually obtained at constant 2theta step; to interpolate between the measured values an analytic expression of the profile function is very useful. Statistical estimation is used to fit an analytic function to data; the only assumption made is the continuity of this function and no critical initialization is needed. Three different expressions are used: a Fourier sum for the peak and two polynomials of a suitable variable for the tails; the algorithm provides continuity for the function and its first derivative. Simulated examples using a Lorentzian and a Gaussian function are given and several criteria of goodness of fit are examined. The program runs on a PDP 11/03 digital computer with only 45 kbytes available memory. (orig.)

Good Teaching: Aligning Student and Administrator Perceptions and Expectations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lazarus Nabaho

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Literature attests to limited systematic inquiry into students’ conceptions of good teaching in higher education. Resultantly, there have been calls for engaging students in construing what makes good university teaching and in developing a richer conception of teaching excellence. This interpretivist study that is based on views of final year university students from six academic disciplines investigated students’ conceptions of good teaching at Makerere University in Uganda. Students conceived good teaching as being student-centred, demonstrating strong subject and pedagogical knowledge, being approachable, being responsive, being organised, and being able to communicate well. Most of the conceptions of good teaching hinge  on what the teacher does (the means rather than affording high quality student learning (an end. It can therefore been concluded that good teaching is a multi-dimensional construct that defies a single definition and cannot be assured and assessed using a single indicator.

Measured, modeled, and causal conceptions of fitness

Science.gov (United States)

Abrams, Marshall

2012-01-01

This paper proposes partial answers to the following questions: in what senses can fitness differences plausibly be considered causes of evolution?What relationships are there between fitness concepts used in empirical research, modeling, and abstract theoretical proposals? How does the relevance of different fitness concepts depend on research questions and methodological constraints? The paper develops a novel taxonomy of fitness concepts, beginning with type fitness (a property of a genotype or phenotype), token fitness (a property of a particular individual), and purely mathematical fitness. Type fitness includes statistical type fitness, which can be measured from population data, and parametric type fitness, which is an underlying property estimated by statistical type fitnesses. Token fitness includes measurable token fitness, which can be measured on an individual, and tendential token fitness, which is assumed to be an underlying property of the individual in its environmental circumstances. Some of the paper's conclusions can be outlined as follows: claims that fitness differences do not cause evolution are reasonable when fitness is treated as statistical type fitness, measurable token fitness, or purely mathematical fitness. Some of the ways in which statistical methods are used in population genetics suggest that what natural selection involves are differences in parametric type fitnesses. Further, it's reasonable to think that differences in parametric type fitness can cause evolution. Tendential token fitnesses, however, are not themselves sufficient for natural selection. Though parametric type fitnesses are typically not directly measurable, they can be modeled with purely mathematical fitnesses and estimated by statistical type fitnesses, which in turn are defined in terms of measurable token fitnesses. The paper clarifies the ways in which fitnesses depend on pragmatic choices made by researchers. PMID:23112804

Buying and selling exchange goods: Loss aversion and the endowment effect

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E. van Dijk (Eric); D.L. van Knippenberg (Daan)

1996-01-01

textabstractAn experimental market was used to investigate whether exchange goods may be susceptible to the endowment effect. Previous research (Kahneman et al., 1990) suggested that the endowment effect will not be observed in exchange goods. The present study demonstrates that it may be observed,

Passerine birds breeding under chronic noise experience reduced fitness.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Schroeder

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Fitness in birds has been shown to be negatively associated with anthropogenic noise, but the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. It is however crucial to understand the mechanisms of how urban noise impinges on fitness to obtain a better understanding of the role of chronic noise in urban ecology. Here, we examine three hypotheses on how noise might reduce reproductive output in passerine birds: (H1 by impairing mate choice, (H2 by reducing territory quality and (H3 by impeding chick development. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used long-term data from an island population of house sparrows, Passer domesticus, in which we can precisely estimate fitness. We found that nests in an area affected by the noise from large generators produced fewer young, of lower body mass, and fewer recruits, even when we corrected statistically for parental genetic quality using a cross-fostering set-up, supporting H3. Also, individual females provided their young with food less often when they bred in the noisy area compared to breeding attempts by the same females elsewhere. Furthermore, we show that females reacted flexibly to increased noise levels by adjusting their provisioning rate in the short term, which suggests that noise may be a causal factor that reduces reproductive output. We rejected H1 and H2 because nestbox occupancy, parental body mass, age and reproductive investment did not differ significantly between noisy and quiet areas. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: OUR RESULTS SUGGEST A PREVIOUSLY UNDESCRIBED MECHANISM TO EXPLAIN HOW ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE CAN REDUCE FITNESS IN PASSERINE BIRDS: by acoustically masking parent-offspring communication. More importantly, using a cross-fostering set-up, our results demonstrate that birds breeding in a noisy environment experience significant fitness costs. Chronic noise is omnipresent around human habitation and may produces similar fitness consequences in a wide range of urban bird species.

Demands–abilities fit, work beliefs, meaningful work and engagement in nature-based jobs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nellie de Crom

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Orientation: Meaningful work and personal engagement are important dimensions of flourishing of employees, especially when individuals work in challenging jobs. Research purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between demands–abilities fit, work beliefs, meaningful work and engagement in individuals in nature-based jobs. Motivation for the study: Individuals working in nature often work under challenging circumstances without the necessary resources. A research gap exists regarding the effects of demands–abilities fit and work beliefs on meaningful work. It is also not clear how these antecedents and meaningful work will impact the engagement of individuals working in nature. Research approach, design and method: A cross-sectional survey was used with a convenience sample of 161 nature-based employees. Data were collected using a structured online questionnaire consisting of items from the demands–abilities fit scale, work–life questionnaire, work and meaning Inventory, work engagement scale and a biographical questionnaire. Main findings: Work beliefs (calling, career and job and demands–abilities fit predicted a large percentage of the variance in meaning making. Work beliefs (calling and job and demands–abilities fit also predicted a large percentage of the variance in greater good motivations. Demands–abilities fit and a calling work orientation indirectly affected work engagement via meaningful work. The scales which measured calling and job orientations showed insufficient discriminant validity in relation to the scales which measured positive meaning and work engagement. Practical and managerial implications: Managers should consider implementing interventions to affect the demands–abilities fit (through human resource management interventions and work beliefs of individuals working in nature (through job crafting. Promoting perceptions of meaningful work might contribute to higher personal engagement

Interaction between age and aerobic fitness in determining heart rate dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNarry, M A; Lewis, M J

2012-01-01

Heart rate variability (HRV) and phase-rectified signal averaging (PRSA) estimates of heart rate dynamics are diminished in older people compared with younger people. However, it is not fully elucidated whether these differences are related to age per se or to the concomitant influence of aerobic fitness. Aerobic fitness (peak oxygen uptake, gas exchange threshold, oxygen uptake kinetics, exercise economy) was assessed in 70 healthy adults (41 male) aged 18–57 years. Participants also underwent a 24 h, ambulatory ECG for the derivation of HRV and PRSA variables. HRV was most sensitive to age and aerobic fitness when measured during the morning period (6 am–12 pm). HRV and PRSA were both diminished with age and were higher in aerobically superior participants. The decline in HRV with age was predominantly attributable to age itself (33%), with aerobic fitness representing an additional modulating factor. The present study also provides tentative evidence that assessment of the influence of aerobic fitness should not rely on .VO 2peak alone. These findings demonstrate that age per se is an important factor in determining HRV. However, given the clinical importance of diminished HRV and the immutable nature of aging, the potential significance of physical activity/training to enhance cardiac regulatory function should not be underestimated. (paper)

Use of nutritional supplements by Danish elite athletes and fitness customers.

Science.gov (United States)

Solheim, S A; Nordsborg, N B; Ritz, C; Berget, J; Kristensen, A H; Mørkeberg, J

2017-08-01

The nutritional supplement (NS) industry is one of the fastest growing in the world, and NS use in Denmark is among the highest in Europe. However, the exact use in elite athletes and fitness customers targeted for doping control is unknown. Information from 634 doping control forms obtained in 2014 was evaluated (elite athletes: n = 361; fitness customers: n = 273). The majority of female (92.6%) and male (85.0%) elite athletes and female (100.0%) and male (94.0%) fitness customers declared using one or more NS. The use of non-ergogenic NS was more prevalent in women than in men and in younger (15-34 years) compared with older (35-49 years) subjects, but it was less prevalent in intermittent compared with endurance and power/strength sports. Additionally, fitness customers who tested positive for doping also reported using more NS than subjects testing negative, indicating an association between NS and doping abuse. The present results demonstrate a very high prevalence of NS usage in both elite athletes and fitness customers. This highlights the importance of a strong national regulation of NS to avoid contamination of NS with doping substances. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fragment Impact Toolkit (FIT)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shevitz, Daniel Wolf [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Key, Brian P. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Garcia, Daniel B. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-09-05

The Fragment Impact Toolkit (FIT) is a software package used for probabilistic consequence evaluation of fragmenting sources. The typical use case for FIT is to simulate an exploding shell and evaluate the consequence on nearby objects. FIT is written in the programming language Python and is designed as a collection of interacting software modules. Each module has a function that interacts with the other modules to produce desired results.

Fitness Landscapes of Functional RNAs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ádám Kun

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The notion of fitness landscapes, a map between genotype and fitness, was proposed more than 80 years ago. For most of this time data was only available for a few alleles, and thus we had only a restricted view of the whole fitness landscape. Recently, advances in genetics and molecular biology allow a more detailed view of them. Here we review experimental and theoretical studies of fitness landscapes of functional RNAs, especially aptamers and ribozymes. We find that RNA structures can be divided into critical structures, connecting structures, neutral structures and forbidden structures. Such characterisation, coupled with theoretical sequence-to-structure predictions, allows us to construct the whole fitness landscape. Fitness landscapes then can be used to study evolution, and in our case the development of the RNA world.

MLC quality assurance using EPID: A fitting technique with subpixel precision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamalui-Hunter, Maria; Li, Harold; Low, Daniel A.

2008-01-01

Amorphous silicon based electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) have been shown to be a good alternative to radiographic film for routine quality assurance (QA) of multileaf collimator (MLC) positioning accuracy. In this work, we present a method of acquiring an EPID image of a traditional strip-test image using analytical fits of the interleaf and leaf abutment image signatures. After exposure, the EPID image pixel values are divided by an open field image to remove EPID response and radiation field variations. Profiles acquired in the direction orthogonal to the leaf motion exhibit small peaks caused by interleaf leakage. Gaussian profiles are fitted to the interleaf leakage peaks, the results of which are, using multiobjective optimization, used to calculate the image rotational angle with respect to the collimator axis of rotation. The relative angle is used to rotate the image to align the MLC leaf travel to the image pixel axes. The leaf abutments also present peaks that are fitted by heuristic functions, in this case modified Lorentzian functions. The parameters of the Lorentzian functions are used to parameterize the leaf gap width and positions. By imaging a set of MLC fields with varying gaps forming symmetric and asymmetric abutments, calibration curves with regard to relative peak height (RPH) versus nominal gap width are obtained. Based on this calibration data, the individual leaf positions are calculated to compare with the nominal programmed positions. The results demonstrate that the collimator rotation angle can be determined as accurate as 0.01 deg. . A change in MLC gap width of 0.2 mm leads to a change in RPH of about 10%. For asymmetrically produced gaps, a 0.2 mm MLC leaf gap width change causes 0.2 pixel peak position change. Subpixel resolution is obtained by using a parameterized fit of the relatively large abutment peaks. By contrast, for symmetrical gap changes, the peak position remains unchanged with a standard deviation of 0

Searching for the right fit: development of applicant person-organization fit perceptions during the recruitment process.

Science.gov (United States)

Swider, Brian W; Zimmerman, Ryan D; Barrick, Murray R

2015-05-01

Numerous studies link applicant fit perceptions measured at a single point in time to recruitment outcomes. Expanding upon this prior research by incorporating decision-making theory, this study examines how applicants develop these fit perceptions over the duration of the recruitment process, showing meaningful changes in fit perceptions across and within organizations overtime. To assess the development of applicant fit perceptions, eight assessments of person-organization (PO) fit with up to four different organizations across 169 applicants for 403 job choice decisions were analyzed. Results showed the presence of initial levels and changes in differentiation of applicant PO fit perceptions across organizations, which significantly predicted future job choice. In addition, changes in within-organizational PO fit perceptions across two stages of recruitment predicted applicant job choices among multiple employers. The implications of these results for accurately understanding the development of fit perceptions, relationships between fit perceptions and key recruiting outcomes, and possible limitations of past meta-analytically derived estimates of these relationships are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Gfitter - Revisiting the global electroweak fit of the Standard Model and beyond

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flaecher, H.; Hoecker, A. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Goebel, M. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)]|[Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany)]|[Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Experimentalphysik; Haller, J. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Experimentalphysik; Moenig, K.; Stelzer, J. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)]|[Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany)

2008-11-15

The global fit of the Standard Model to electroweak precision data, routinely performed by the LEP electroweak working group and others, demonstrated impressively the predictive power of electroweak unification and quantum loop corrections. We have revisited this fit in view of (i) the development of the new generic fitting package, Gfitter, allowing flexible and efficient model testing in high-energy physics, (ii) the insertion of constraints from direct Higgs searches at LEP and the Tevatron, and (iii) a more thorough statistical interpretation of the results. Gfitter is a modular fitting toolkit, which features predictive theoretical models as independent plugins, and a statistical analysis of the fit results using toy Monte Carlo techniques. The state-of-the-art electroweak Standard Model is fully implemented, as well as generic extensions to it. Theoretical uncertainties are explicitly included in the fit through scale parameters varying within given error ranges. This paper introduces the Gfitter project, and presents state-of-the-art results for the global electroweak fit in the Standard Model, and for a model with an extended Higgs sector (2HDM). Numerical and graphical results for fits with and without including the constraints from the direct Higgs searches at LEP and Tevatron are given. Perspectives for future colliders are analysed and discussed. Including the direct Higgs searches, we find M{sub H}=116.4{sup +18.3}{sub -1.3} GeV, and the 2{sigma} and 3{sigma} allowed regions [114,145] GeV and [[113,168] and [180,225

Uncertainty evaluation for ordinary least-square fitting with arbitrary order polynomial in joule balance method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

You, Qiang; Xu, JinXin; Wang, Gang; Zhang, Zhonghua

2016-01-01

The ordinary least-square fitting with polynomial is used in both the dynamic phase of the watt balance method and the weighting phase of joule balance method but few researches have been conducted to evaluate the uncertainty of the fitting data in the electrical balance methods. In this paper, a matrix-calculation method for evaluating the uncertainty of the polynomial fitting data is derived and the properties of this method are studied by simulation. Based on this, another two derived methods are proposed. One is used to find the optimal fitting order for the watt or joule balance methods. Accuracy and effective factors of this method are experimented with simulations. The other is used to evaluate the uncertainty of the integral of the fitting data for joule balance, which is demonstrated with an experiment from the NIM-1 joule balance. (paper)

Real evaporative cooling efficiency of one-layer tight-fitting sportswear in a hot environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, F; Annaheim, S; Morrissey, M; Rossi, R M

2014-06-01

Real evaporative cooling efficiency, the ratio of real evaporative heat loss to evaporative cooling potential, is an important parameter to characterize the real cooling benefit for the human body. Previous studies on protective clothing showed that the cooling efficiency decreases with increasing distance between the evaporation locations and the human skin. However, it is still unclear how evaporative cooling efficiency decreases as the moisture is transported from the skin to the clothing layer. In this study, we performed experiments with a sweating torso manikin to mimic three different phases of moisture absorption in one-layer tight-fitting sportswear. Clothing materials Coolmax(®) (CM; INVISTA, Wichita, Kansas, USA; 100%, profiled cross-section polyester fiber), merino wool (MW; 100%), sports wool (SW; 50% wool, 50% polyester), and cotton (CO; 100%) were selected for the study. The results demonstrated that, for the sportswear materials tested, the real evaporative cooling efficiency linearly decreases with the increasing ratio of moisture being transported away from skin surface to clothing layer (adjusted R(2) >0.97). In addition, clothing fabric thickness has a negative effect on the real evaporative cooling efficiency. Clothing CM and SW showed a good ability in maintaining evaporative cooling efficiency. In contrast, clothing MW made from thicker fabric had the worst performance in maintaining evaporative cooling efficiency. It is thus suggested that thin fabric materials such as CM and SW should be used to manufacture one-layer tight-fitting sportswear. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Online Influence and Sentiment of Fitness Tweets: Analysis of Two Million Fitness Tweets.

Science.gov (United States)

Vickey, Theodore; Breslin, John G

2017-10-31

Publicly available fitness tweets may provide useful and in-depth insights into the real-time sentiment of a person's physical activity and provide motivation to others through online influence. The goal of this experimental approach using the fitness Twitter dataset is two-fold: (1) to determine if there is a correlation between the type of activity tweet (either workout or workout+, which contains the same information as a workout tweet but has additional user-generated information), gender, and one's online influence as measured by Klout Score and (2) to examine the sentiment of the activity-coded fitness tweets by looking at real-time shared thoughts via Twitter regarding their experiences with physical activity and the associated mobile fitness app. The fitness tweet dataset includes demographic and activity data points, including minutes of activity, Klout Score, classification of each fitness tweet, the first name of each fitness tweet user, and the tweet itself. Gender for each fitness tweet user was determined by a first name comparison with the US Social Security Administration database of first names and gender. Over 184 days, 2,856,534 tweets were collected in 23 different languages. However, for the purposes of this study, only the English-language tweets were analyzed from the activity tweets, resulting in a total of 583,252 tweets. After assigning gender to Twitter usernames based on the Social Security Administration database of first names, analysis of minutes of activity by both gender and Klout influence was determined. The mean Klout Score for those who shared their workout data from within four mobile apps was 20.50 (13.78 SD), less than the general Klout Score mean of 40, as was the Klout Score at the 95th percentile (40 vs 63). As Klout Score increased, there was a decrease in the number of overall workout+ tweets. With regards to sentiment, fitness-related tweets identified as workout+ reflected a positive sentiment toward physical activity

A Sport Education Fitness Season's Impact on Students' Fitness Levels, Knowledge, and In-Class Physical Activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Jeffery Kurt; Hastie, Peter A; Wadsworth, Danielle D; Foote, Shelby; Brock, Sheri J; Hollett, Nikki

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which a sport education season of fitness could provide students with recommended levels of in-class moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) while also increasing students' fitness knowledge and fitness achievement. One hundred and sixty-six 5th-grade students (76 boys, 90 girls) participated in a 20-lesson season called "CrossFit Challenge" during a 4-week period. The Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run, push-ups, and curl-ups tests of the FITNESSGRAM® were used to assess fitness at pretest and posttest, while fitness knowledge was assessed through a validated, grade-appropriate test of health-related fitness knowledge (HRF). Physical activity was measured with Actigraph GT3X triaxial accelerometers. Results indicated a significant time effect for all fitness tests and the knowledge test. Across the entire season, the students spent an average of 54.5% of lesson time engaged in MVPA, irrespective of the type of lesson (instruction, free practice, or competition). The results suggest that configuring the key principles of sport education within a unit of fitness is an efficient model for providing students with the opportunity to improve fitness skill and HRF knowledge while attaining recommended levels of MVPA.

Goodness-of-fit tests in mixed models

KAUST Repository

Claeskens, Gerda

2009-05-12

Mixed models, with both random and fixed effects, are most often estimated on the assumption that the random effects are normally distributed. In this paper we propose several formal tests of the hypothesis that the random effects and/or errors are normally distributed. Most of the proposed methods can be extended to generalized linear models where tests for non-normal distributions are of interest. Our tests are nonparametric in the sense that they are designed to detect virtually any alternative to normality. In case of rejection of the null hypothesis, the nonparametric estimation method that is used to construct a test provides an estimator of the alternative distribution. © 2009 Sociedad de Estadística e Investigación Operativa.

Goodness-of-fit tests in mixed models

KAUST Repository

Claeskens, Gerda; Hart, Jeffrey D.

2009-01-01

Mixed models, with both random and fixed effects, are most often estimated on the assumption that the random effects are normally distributed. In this paper we propose several formal tests of the hypothesis that the random effects and/or errors

An intervention program to promote health-related physical fitness in nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Su-Chuan; Chou, Ming-Chih; Hwu, Lien-Jen; Chang, Yin-O; Hsu, Wen-Hsin; Kuo, Hsien-Wen

2009-05-01

To assess the effects of exercise intervention on nurses' health-related physical fitness. Regular exercise that includes gymnastics or aerobics has a positive effect on fitness. In Taiwan, there are not much data which assess the effects of exercise intervention on nurses' health-related physical fitness. Many studies have reported the high incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in nurses However, there has been limited research on intervention programs that are designed to improve the general physical fitness of nurses. A quasi-experimental study was conducted at a medical centre in central Taiwan. Ninety nurses from five different units of a hospital volunteered to participate in this study and participated in an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group engaged in a three-month intervention program consisting of treadmill exercise. Indicators of the health-related physical fitness of both groups were established and assessed before and after the intervention. Before intervention, the control group had significantly better grasp strength, flexibility and durability of abdominal muscles than the experimental group (p work duration, regular exercise and workload and found that the experimental group performed significantly better (p flexibility, durability of abdominal and back muscles and cardiopulmonary function. This study demonstrates that the development and implementation of an intervention program can promote and improve the health-related physical fitness of nurses. It is suggested that nurses engage in an exercise program while in the workplace to lower the risk of MSDs and to promote working efficiency.

Using a Non-Fit Message Helps to De-Intensify Negative Reactions to Tough Advice

Science.gov (United States)

Fridman, Ilona; Scherr, Karen; Glare, Paul; Higgins, E. Tory

2017-01-01

Sometimes physicians need to provide patients with potentially upsetting advice. For example, physicians may recommend hospice for a terminally ill patient because it best meets their needs, but the patient and their family dislike this advised option. We explore whether regulatory non-fit could be used to improve these types of situations. Across five studies in which participants imagined receiving upsetting advice from a physician, we demonstrate that regulatory non-fit between the form of the physician’s advice (emphasizing gains vs. avoiding losses) and the participants’ motivational orientation (promotion vs. prevention) improves participants’ evaluation of an initially disliked option. Regulatory non-fit de-intensifies participants’ initial attitudes by making them less confident in their initial judgments and motivating them to think more thoroughly about the arguments presented. Furthermore, consistent with previous research on regulatory fit, we showed that the mechanism of regulatory non-fit differs as a function of participants’ cognitive involvement in the evaluation of the option. PMID:27341845

Evaluation of marginal fit of two all-ceramic copings with two finish lines

Science.gov (United States)

Subasi, Gulce; Ozturk, Nilgun; Inan, Ozgur; Bozogullari, Nalan

2012-01-01

Objectives: This in-vitro study investigated the marginal fit of two all-ceramic copings with 2 finish line designs. Methods: Forty machined stainless steel molar die models with two different margin designs (chamfer and rounded shoulder) were prepared. A total of 40 standardized copings were fabricated and divided into 4 groups (n=10 for each finish line-coping material). Coping materials tested were IPS e.max Press and Zirkonzahn; luting agent was Variolink II. Marginal fit was evaluated after cementation with a stereomicroscope (Leica MZ16). Two-way analysis of variance and Tukey-HSD test were performed to assess the influence of each finish line design and ceramic type on the marginal fit of 2 all-ceramic copings (α =.05). Results: Two-way analysis of variance revealed no statistically significant differences for marginal fit relative to finish lines (P=.362) and ceramic types (P=.065). Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, both types of all-ceramic copings demonstrated that the mean marginal fit was considered acceptable for clinical application (⩽120 μm). PMID:22509119

Random-subset fitting of digital holograms for fast three-dimensional particle tracking [invited].

Science.gov (United States)

Dimiduk, Thomas G; Perry, Rebecca W; Fung, Jerome; Manoharan, Vinothan N

2014-09-20

Fitting scattering solutions to time series of digital holograms is a precise way to measure three-dimensional dynamics of microscale objects such as colloidal particles. However, this inverse-problem approach is computationally expensive. We show that the computational time can be reduced by an order of magnitude or more by fitting to a random subset of the pixels in a hologram. We demonstrate our algorithm on experimentally measured holograms of micrometer-scale colloidal particles, and we show that 20-fold increases in speed, relative to fitting full frames, can be attained while introducing errors in the particle positions of 10 nm or less. The method is straightforward to implement and works for any scattering model. It also enables a parallelization strategy wherein random-subset fitting is used to quickly determine initial guesses that are subsequently used to fit full frames in parallel. This approach may prove particularly useful for studying rare events, such as nucleation, that can only be captured with high frame rates over long times.

Strength Training: For Overall Fitness

Science.gov (United States)

Healthy Lifestyle Fitness Strength training is an important part of an overall fitness program. Here's what strength training can do for ... is a key component of overall health and fitness for everyone. Lean muscle mass naturally diminishes with ...

ParFit: A Python-Based Object-Oriented Program for Fitting Molecular Mechanics Parameters to ab Initio Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahariev, Federico; De Silva, Nuwan; Gordon, Mark S; Windus, Theresa L; Dick-Perez, Marilu

2017-03-27

A newly created object-oriented program for automating the process of fitting molecular-mechanics parameters to ab initio data, termed ParFit, is presented. ParFit uses a hybrid of deterministic and stochastic genetic algorithms. ParFit can simultaneously handle several molecular-mechanics parameters in multiple molecules and can also apply symmetric and antisymmetric constraints on the optimized parameters. The simultaneous handling of several molecules enhances the transferability of the fitted parameters. ParFit is written in Python, uses a rich set of standard and nonstandard Python libraries, and can be run in parallel on multicore computer systems. As an example, a series of phosphine oxides, important for metal extraction chemistry, are parametrized using ParFit. ParFit is in an open source program available for free on GitHub ( https://github.com/fzahari/ParFit ).

Cardiovascular Fitness is Associated with Altered Cortical Glucose Metabolism During Working Memory in ε4 Carriers

Science.gov (United States)

Deeny, Sean P.; Winchester, Jeanna; Nichol, Kathryn; Roth, Stephen M.; Wu, Joseph C.; Dick, Malcolm; Cotman, Carl W.

2012-01-01

Background The possibility that ε4 may modulate the effects of fitness in the brain remains controversial. The present exploratory FDG-PET study aimed to better understand the relationship among ε4, fitness and cerebral metabolism in 18 healthy aged females (9 Carriers, 9 Non-carriers) during working memory. Methods Participants underwent VO2 max, CVLT and FDG-PET, collected at rest and during completion of the Sternberg Working Memory Task. Results Resting FDG-PET did not differ between carriers and non-carriers. Significant effects of fitness on FDG-PET during working memory was noted in the ε4 carriers only. High Fit ε4 carriers had greater glucose uptake than the Low Fit in the temporal lobe, but Low Fit had greater glucose uptake in the frontal and parietal lobes. Conclusion(s) We demonstrate that fitness differentially affects cerebral metabolism in ε4 carriers only, consistent with previous findings that the effects of fitness may be more pronounced in populations genetically at risk for cognitive decline. PMID:22226798

Cardiovascular fitness is associated with altered cortical glucose metabolism during working memory in ɛ4 carriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Deeny, Sean P; Winchester, Jeanna; Nichol, Kathryn; Roth, Stephen M; Wu, Joseph C; Dick, Malcolm; Cotman, Carl W

2012-07-01

The possibility that ɛ4 may modulate the effects of fitness in the brain remains controversial. The present exploratory FDG-PET study aimed to better understand the relationship among ɛ4, fitness, and cerebral metabolism in 18 healthy aged women (nine carriers, nine noncarriers) during working memory. Participants were evaluated using maximal level of oxygen consumption, California Verbal Learning Test, and FDG-PET, which were collected at rest and during completion of the Sternberg working memory task. Resting FDG-PET did not differ between carriers and noncarriers. Significant effects of fitness on FDG-PET during working memory were noted in the ɛ4 carriers only. High fit ɛ4 carriers had greater glucose uptake in the temporal lobe than the low fit ɛ4 carriers, but low fit ɛ4 carriers had greater glucose uptake in the frontal and parietal lobes. We demonstrate that fitness differentially affects cerebral metabolism in ɛ4 carriers only, consistent with previous findings that the effects of fitness may be more pronounced in populations genetically at risk for cognitive decline. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Expanding the applicable duration for shrink fitting of the ultrathin-walled reactor coolant pump rotor-can

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Ruiqin; Zhang, Chi; Zhang, Liwen; Cui, Yan; Shen, Wenfei

2017-01-01

Highlights: •A thermal-mechanical coupled finite element model was developed to simulate the whole process. •Heat capacity added layer was used to extend the limited time for the process. •Shrink-fitted experiments were performed to verify the simulation results. -- Abstract: The rotor-can of reactor coolant pump (RCP) is generally assembled on the rotor using shrink fitting technique. The rotor-can is characterized by large height and ultrathin-walled cylinder, thus, its rigidity is weak and heat capacity is quite limited. The shrink fitting process has to be completed within a short limited-time, which makes it difficult for rotor to insert in the rotor-can completely. In order to solve this problem, a new method was proposed to extend the limited time by using a heat capacity added layer (HCAL) during the shrink fitting process. A thermal-mechanical coupled finite element (FE) model was developed to simulate the whole process. The transient heat exchange with a narrow gap between rotor and rotor-can during the shrink fitting process was taken into consideration. The limited time was predicted by calculating and analyzing the evolutions of temperature field and radial displacement field of the rotor-can. The simulation results indicate that the limited time of the shrink fitting process can be significantly extended with the increase of HCAL in thickness. Then, shrink fitting experiments were performed to confirm the extending effect of the HCAL. The experimental results of limited time show good agreement with the predicted values. The current results will certainly help the designer to improve the shrink fitting technique.

WittyFit-Live Your Work Differently: Study Protocol for a Workplace-Delivered Health Promotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutheil, Frédéric; Duclos, Martine; Naughton, Geraldine; Dewavrin, Samuel; Cornet, Thomas; Huguet, Pascal; Chatard, Jean-Claude; Pereira, Bruno

2017-04-13

Morbidity before retirement has a huge cost, burdening both public health and workplace finances. Multiple factors increase morbidity such as stress at work, sedentary behavior or low physical activity, and poor nutrition practices. Nowadays, the digital world offers infinite opportunities to interact with workers. The WittyFit software was designed to understand holistic issues of workers by promoting individualized behavior changes at the workplace. The shorter term feasibility objective is to demonstrate that effective use of WittyFit will increase well-being and improve health-related behaviors. The mid-term objective is to demonstrate that WittyFit improves economic data of the companies such as productivity and benefits. The ultimate objective is to increase life expectancy of workers. This is an exploratory interventional cohort study in an ecological situation. Three groups of participants will be purposefully sampled: employees, middle managers, and executive managers. Four levels of engagement are planned for employees: commencing with baseline health profiling from validated questionnaires; individualized feedback based on evidence-based medicine; support for behavioral change; and formal evaluation of changes in knowledge, practices, and health outcomes over time. Middle managers will also receive anonymous feedback on problems encountered by employees, and executive top managers will have indicators by division, location, department, age, seniority, gender and occupational position. Managers will be able to introduce specific initiatives in the workplace. WittyFit is based on two databases: behavioral data (WittyFit) and medical data (WittyFit Research). Statistical analyses will incorporate morbidity and well-being data. When a worker leaves a workplace, the company documents one of three major explanations: retirement, relocation to another company, or premature death. Therefore, WittyFit will have the ability to include mortality as an outcome

Quality of Life and Fitness in Children and Adolescents with Epilepsy (EpiFit).

Science.gov (United States)

Rauchenzauner, Markus; Hagn, Claudia; Walch, Romana; Baumann, Matthias; Haberlandt, Edda; Frühwirth, Martin; Rostasy, Kevin

2017-06-01

Objective  The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between fitness and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children with idiopathic epilepsy compared with a healthy matched control group. Methods  In this study, 107 children conducted a 6-minute walk test, anthropometric parameters were measured, and HRQoL was assessed using a standardized questionnaire (KINDL-R). Children were divided into two groups: (1) the patient group ( n  = 48) and (2) the healthy control group ( n  = 59). Results  HRQoL of children with focal epilepsy was greater when compared with healthy children and children with generalized epilepsy. A significant association could be demonstrated for the 6-minute walk distance and mental wellbeing in children with epilepsy but not in healthy children. Furthermore, a negative correlation between the HRQoL and the amount of time spent in front of TV and computer in children with epilepsy and healthy children was seen. In children with focal epilepsy, a significant negative correlation could be shown between school sport and mental wellbeing as well as between school sport and self-esteem. Conclusion  HRQoL in children with idiopathic epilepsy is significantly associated with physical fitness and might be positively influenced by an adequate education of patients and parents, a reduction of consumption of computer and TV in combination with age- and disease-adapted physical activity and sports. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Is High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT)/CrossFit Safe for Military Fitness Training?

Science.gov (United States)

Poston, Walker S C; Haddock, Christopher K; Heinrich, Katie M; Jahnke, Sara A; Jitnarin, Nattinee; Batchelor, David B

2016-07-01

High-intensity functional training (HIFT) is a promising fitness paradigm that gained popularity among military populations. Rather than biasing workouts toward maximizing fitness domains such as aerobic endurance, HIFT workouts are designed to promote general physical preparedness. HIFT programs have proliferated as a result of concerns about the relevance of traditional physical training (PT), which historically focused on aerobic condition via running. Other concerns about traditional PT include: (1) the relevance of service fitness tests given current combat demands, (2) the perception that military PT is geared toward passing service fitness tests, and (3) that training for combat requires more than just aerobic endurance. Despite its' popularity in the military, concerns have been raised about HIFT's injury potential, leading to some approaches being labeled as "extreme conditioning programs" by several military and civilian experts. Given HIFT programs' popularity in the military and concerns about injury, a review of data on HIFT injury potential is needed to inform military policy. The purpose of this review is to: (1) provide an overview of scientific methods used to appropriately compare injury rates among fitness activities and (2) evaluate scientific data regarding HIFT injury risk compared to traditional military PT and other accepted fitness activities. Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Induced-fit Mechanism for Prolyl Endopeptidase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Min; Chen, Changqing; Davies, David R.; Chiu, Thang K. (NIH); (LSU); (Chinese Aca. Sci.)

2010-11-15

Prolyl peptidases cleave proteins at proline residues and are of importance for cancer, neurological function, and type II diabetes. Prolyl endopeptidase (PEP) cleaves neuropeptides and is a drug target for neuropsychiatric diseases such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. Previous structural analyses showing little differences between native and substrate-bound structures have suggested a lock-and-key catalytic mechanism. We now directly demonstrate from seven structures of Aeromonus punctata PEP that the mechanism is instead induced fit: the native enzyme exists in a conformationally flexible opened state with a large interdomain opening between the {beta}-propeller and {alpha}/{beta}-hydrolase domains; addition of substrate to preformed native crystals induces a large scale conformational change into a closed state with induced-fit adjustments of the active site, and inhibition of this conformational change prevents substrate binding. Absolute sequence conservation among 28 orthologs of residues at the active site and critical residues at the interdomain interface indicates that this mechanism is conserved in all PEPs. This finding has immediate implications for the use of conformationally targeted drug design to improve specificity of inhibition against this family of proline-specific serine proteases.

Methodology review: evaluating person fit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijer, R.R.; Sijtsma, Klaas

2001-01-01

Person-fit methods based on classical test theory-and item response theory (IRT), and methods investigating particular types of response behavior on tests, are examined. Similarities and differences among person-fit methods and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Sound person-fit

Competency profile of Fitness Instructor

OpenAIRE

Peterová, Marta

2011-01-01

Title: COMPETENCY PROFILE OF FITNESS INSTRUCTOR Objectives: The aim of this work is to find out competencies of fitness instructor and make a competency profile, containing competencies, which are important for excellent fitness instructor. Methods: I applied the method of interview and the method of research in my thesis. The interview was used to make a list of competencies of fitness instructor. The research was applied in the final part of making competency profile, for an attestation of ...

Increasing Student Physical Fitness through Increased Choice of Fitness Activities and Student Designed Fitness Activities for Ninth through Twelfth Graders in Physical Education Class

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, Margo A.

2011-01-01

This action research project report began when the teacher researcher determined that students exhibited physical fitness levels below that of the state and national norms, and also displayed negative attitudes about physical education. The purpose of this action research project was to increase physical fitness and fitness attitudes through…

[A better self-perception of physical fitness is associated with lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components among university students].

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca-Camacho, Deivy Fredery; Hernández-Fonseca, John Manuel; González-Ruíz, Katherine; Tordecilla-Sanders, Alejandra; Ramírez-Vélez, Robinson

2014-12-17

To evaluate whether more positive self-perception of physical fitness is associated with lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in university students in Bogotá, Colombia Method: A total of 493 men (mean age 28.5±11.5 years old) without cardiovascular disease university students completed the self-report fitness tool, namely "The International FItness Scale" (IFIS). The overall prevalence of MetS and its components according to "International Diabetes Federation" (IDF) criteria and the "National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood, Cholesterol in Adults" (NCEP: ATP-III) were measured. Body Fat Mass (BFM), Body Fat Percentage (BF %), Fat-Free Mass (FFM) and Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI), were estimated using segmental bioelectrical impedance equipment. Twenty three percent of participants had met the criteria of MetS. Central obesity (33%) was the most prevalent factor, followed by low HDL cholesterol level (31%). The other factors associated with the presence of MetS were hypercholesterolemia (60%), high LDL cholesterol level (32%) and hypertriglyceridemia (19%). Participants reporting to have a "good/very good" in the self-reported (cardiorespiratory and muscle fitness specific components), shown a healthy range in blood pressure, FFM, FFMI and triglycerides level (p self-perception of physical fitness have an increased prevalence of MetS and its components. This study suggests that the self-report tool used in this study, the IFIS tool, is a useful method to be used in large scale surveys and epidemiological studies in which, because of time, equipment, or qualified personnel limitations, fitness cannot be directly measured. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

State Authenticity as Fit to Environment: The Implications of Social Identity for Fit, Authenticity, and Self-Segregation.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmader, Toni; Sedikides, Constantine

2017-10-01

People seek out situations that "fit," but the concept of fit is not well understood. We introduce State Authenticity as Fit to the Environment (SAFE), a conceptual framework for understanding how social identities motivate the situations that people approach or avoid. Drawing from but expanding the authenticity literature, we first outline three types of person-environment fit: self-concept fit, goal fit, and social fit. Each type of fit, we argue, facilitates cognitive fluency, motivational fluency, and social fluency that promote state authenticity and drive approach or avoidance behaviors. Using this model, we assert that contexts subtly signal social identities in ways that implicate each type of fit, eliciting state authenticity for advantaged groups but state inauthenticity for disadvantaged groups. Given that people strive to be authentic, these processes cascade down to self-segregation among social groups, reinforcing social inequalities. We conclude by mapping out directions for research on relevant mechanisms and boundary conditions.

Good Outcome Following Copeland Hemiarthroplasty for Acromegalic Arthropathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. E. Johnson-Lynn

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We report the unusual case of a patient with acromegalic arthropathy who presented with severe shoulder arthrosis with marked osteophytosis. This patient is currently pain-free and has good shoulder function 4 years following a Copeland shoulder hemiarthroplasty. Acromegaly is a rare condition of growth hormone oversecretion, but arthropathy is a common feature of the natural history of the disease. This is the first published case report of the outcome of shoulder arthroplasty in a patient with acromegalic arthropathy and demonstrated that a good result can be obtained in this patient.

An association of cocoa consumption with improved physical fitness and decreased muscle damage and oxidative stress in athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Garrido, José A; García-Sánchez, José R; Garrido-Llanos, Silvia; Olivares-Corichi, Ivonne M

2017-04-01

Several studies have demonstrated the protective effects of cocoa consumption, due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Acute exercise induces oxidative stress and causes muscular damage during training. This study was designed to examine the effect of cocoa consumption on the markers of muscle damage, oxidative stress and physical fitness in professional soccer players. Fifteen players (15-18 years old) were included in the study. Biochemical parameters, markers of muscle damage and oxidative stress, and physical performance were evaluated before and after cocoa consumption. Biochemical parameters determined the healthy metabolic status of the study group; biomarkers of muscle and oxidative damage were measured in blood to establish muscle and redox status. However, high levels of biomarkers of muscle damage were detected. Interestingly, cocoa consumption decreased the muscle damage biomarkers of CK and LDH by 39.4% and 23.03%, respectively. The redox status was modified by a decrease in oxidative damage (carbonyl groups, 26.31%; thiol groups, 27.52%; MDA, 32.42%) and an increase in total antioxidant capacity (15.98%) and GSH-Px activity (26.37%). In addition, we observed an increase in physical performance by 4% in the Cooper Test. Our findings suggest that a short period of cocoa consumption could be useful in maintaining a good physical fitness, due to the favourable effects on muscle and redox status in athletes during exhaustive exercise.

Fitting and benchmarking of Monte Carlo output parameters for iridium-192 high dose rate brachytherapy source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acquah, F.G.

2011-01-01

Brachytherapy, the use of radioactive sources for the treatment of tumours is an important tool in radiation oncology. Accurate calculations of dose delivered to malignant and normal tissues are the main responsibility of the Medical Physics staff. With the use of Treatment Planning System (TPS) computers now becoming a standard practice in the Radiation Oncology Departments, Independent calculations to certify the results of these commercial TPSs are important part of a good quality management system for brachytherapy implants. There are inherent errors in the dose distributions produced by these TPSs due to its failure to account for heterogeneity in the calculation algorithms and Monte Carlo (MC) method seems to be the panacea for these corrections. In this study, a fit functional form using MC output parameters was performed to reduce dose calculation uncertainty using the Matlab software curve fitting applications. This includes the modification of the AAPM TG-43 parameters to accommodate the new developments for a rapid brachytherapy dose rate calculation. Analytical computations were performed to hybridize the anisotropy function, F(r,θ) and radial dose function, g(r) into a single new function f(r,θ) for the Nucletron microSelectron High Dose Rate 'new or v2' (mHDRv2) 192 Ir brachytherapy source. In order to minimize computation time and to improve the accuracy of manual calculations, the dosimetry function f(r,θ) used fewer parameters and formulas for the fit. Using MC outputs as the standard, the percentage errors for the fits were calculated and used to evaluate the average and maximum uncertainties. Dose rate deviation between the MC data and fit were also quantified as errors(E), which showed minimal values. These results showed that the dosimetry parameters from this study as compared to those of MC outputs parameters were in good agreement and better than the results obtained from literature. The work confirms a lot of promise in building robust

A systematic way for the cost reduction of density fitting methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kállay, Mihály

2014-01-01

We present a simple approach for the reduction of the size of auxiliary basis sets used in methods exploiting the density fitting (resolution of identity) approximation for electron repulsion integrals. Starting out of the singular value decomposition of three-center two-electron integrals, new auxiliary functions are constructed as linear combinations of the original fitting functions. The new functions, which we term natural auxiliary functions (NAFs), are analogous to the natural orbitals widely used for the cost reduction of correlation methods. The use of the NAF basis enables the systematic truncation of the fitting basis, and thereby potentially the reduction of the computational expenses of the methods, though the scaling with the system size is not altered. The performance of the new approach has been tested for several quantum chemical methods. It is demonstrated that the most pronounced gain in computational efficiency can be expected for iterative models which scale quadratically with the size of the fitting basis set, such as the direct random phase approximation. The approach also has the promise of accelerating local correlation methods, for which the processing of three-center Coulomb integrals is a bottleneck

Fit Gap Analysis – The Role of Business Process Reference Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dejan Pajk

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Enterprise resource planning (ERP systems support solutions for standard business processes such as financial, sales, procurement and warehouse. In order to improve the understandability and efficiency of their implementation, ERP vendors have introduced reference models that describe the processes and underlying structure of an ERP system. To select and successfully implement an ERP system, the capabilities of that system have to be compared with a company’s business needs. Based on a comparison, all of the fits and gaps must be identified and further analysed. This step usually forms part of ERP implementation methodologies and is called fit gap analysis. The paper theoretically overviews methods for applying reference models and describes fit gap analysis processes in detail. The paper’s first contribution is its presentation of a fit gap analysis using standard business process modelling notation. The second contribution is the demonstration of a process-based comparison approach between a supply chain process and an ERP system process reference model. In addition to its theoretical contributions, the results can also be practically applied to projects involving the selection and implementation of ERP systems.

A Global Moving Hotspot Reference Frame: How well it fits?

Science.gov (United States)

Doubrovine, P. V.; Steinberger, B.; Torsvik, T. H.

2010-12-01

Since the early 1970s, when Jason Morgan proposed that hotspot tracks record motion of lithosphere over deep-seated mantle plumes, the concept of fixed hotspots has dominated the way we think about absolute plate reconstructions. In the last decade, with compelling evidence for southward drift of the Hawaiian hotspot from paleomagnetic studies, and for the relative motion between the Pacific and Indo-Atlantic hotspots from refined plate circuit reconstructions, the perception changed and a global moving hotspot reference frame (GMHRF) was introduced, in which numerical models of mantle convection and advection of plume conduits in the mantle flow were used to estimate hotspot motion. This reference frame showed qualitatively better performance in fitting hotspot tracks globally, but the error analysis and formal estimates of the goodness of fitted rotations were lacking in this model. Here we present a new generation of the GMHRF, in which updated plate circuit reconstructions and radiometric age data from the hotspot tracks were combined with numerical models of plume motion, and uncertainties of absolute plate rotations were estimated through spherical regression analysis. The overall quality of fit was evaluated using a formal statistical test, by comparing misfits produced by the model with uncertainties assigned to the data. Alternative plate circuit models linking the Pacific plate to the plates of Indo-Atlantic hemisphere were tested and compared to the fixed hotspot models with identical error budgets. Our results show that, with an appropriate choice of the Pacific plate circuit, it is possible to reconcile relative plate motions and modeled motions of mantle plumes globally back to Late Cretaceous time (80 Ma). In contrast, all fixed hotspot models failed to produce acceptable fits for Paleogene to Late Cretaceous time (30-80 Ma), highlighting significance of relative motion between the Pacific and Indo-Atlantic hotspots during this interval. The

Physical characteristics related to bra fit.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chin-Man; LaBat, Karen; Bye, Elizabeth

2010-04-01

Producing well-fitting garments has been a challenge for retailers and manufacturers since mass production began. Poorly fitted bras can cause discomfort or pain and result in lost sales for retailers. Because body contours are important factors affecting bra fit, this study analyses the relationship of physical characteristics to bra-fit problems. This study has used 3-D body-scanning technology to extract upper body angles from a sample of 103 college women; these data were used to categorise physical characteristics into shoulder slope, bust prominence, back curvature and acromion placement. Relationships between these physical categories and bra-fit problems were then analysed. Results show that significant main effects and two-way interactions of the physical categories exist in the fit problems of poor bra support and bra-motion restriction. The findings are valuable in helping the apparel industry create better-fitting bras. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Poorly fitted bras can cause discomfort or pain and result in lost sales for retailers. The findings regarding body-shape classification provide researchers with a statistics method to quantify physical characteristics and the findings regarding the relationship analysis between physical characteristics and bra fit offer bra companies valuable information about bra-fit perceptions attributable to women with figure variations.

FITS Liberator: Image processing software

Science.gov (United States)

Lindberg Christensen, Lars; Nielsen, Lars Holm; Nielsen, Kaspar K.; Johansen, Teis; Hurt, Robert; de Martin, David

2012-06-01

The ESA/ESO/NASA FITS Liberator makes it possible to process and edit astronomical science data in the FITS format to produce stunning images of the universe. Formerly a plugin for Adobe Photoshop, the current version of FITS Liberator is a stand-alone application and no longer requires Photoshop. This image processing software makes it possible to create color images using raw observations from a range of telescopes; the FITS Liberator continues to support the FITS and PDS formats, preferred by astronomers and planetary scientists respectively, which enables data to be processed from a wide range of telescopes and planetary probes, including ESO's Very Large Telescope, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, ESA's XMM-Newton Telescope and Cassini-Huygens or Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Nuclear fuel element end fitting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jabsen, F.S.

1980-01-01

An invention is described whereby end fittings are formed from lattices of mutually perpendicular plates. At the plate intersections, sockets are secured to the end fittings in a manner that permits the longitudinal axes of each of the sockets to align with the respective lines of intersection of the plates. The sockets all protrude above one of the surfaces of the end fitting. Further, a detent is formed in the proturding sides of each of the sockets. Annular grooves are formed in each of the ends of the fuel rods that are to be mounted between the end fittings. The socket detents protrude into the respective annular grooves, thus engaging the grooves and retaining the fuel rods and end fittings in one integral structure. (auth)

Population genetic diversity and fitness in multiple environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McGreevy Thomas J

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background When a large number of alleles are lost from a population, increases in individual homozygosity may reduce individual fitness through inbreeding depression. Modest losses of allelic diversity may also negatively impact long-term population viability by reducing the capacity of populations to adapt to altered environments. However, it is not clear how much genetic diversity within populations may be lost before populations are put at significant risk. Development of tools to evaluate this relationship would be a valuable contribution to conservation biology. To address these issues, we have created an experimental system that uses laboratory populations of an estuarine crustacean, Americamysis bahia with experimentally manipulated levels of genetic diversity. We created replicate cultures with five distinct levels of genetic diversity and monitored them for 16 weeks in both permissive (ambient seawater and stressful conditions (diluted seawater. The relationship between molecular genetic diversity at presumptive neutral loci and population vulnerability was assessed by AFLP analysis. Results Populations with very low genetic diversity demonstrated reduced fitness relative to high diversity populations even under permissive conditions. Population performance decreased in the stressful environment for all levels of genetic diversity relative to performance in the permissive environment. Twenty percent of the lowest diversity populations went extinct before the end of the study in permissive conditions, whereas 73% of the low diversity lines went extinct in the stressful environment. All high genetic diversity populations persisted for the duration of the study, although population sizes and reproduction were reduced under stressful environmental conditions. Levels of fitness varied more among replicate low diversity populations than among replicate populations with high genetic diversity. There was a significant correlation

Fitting and comparing competing models of the species abundance distribution: assessment and prospect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas J Matthews

2014-06-01

Full Text Available A species abundance distribution (SAD characterises patterns in the commonness and rarity of all species within an ecological community. As such, the SAD provides the theoretical foundation for a number of other biogeographical and macroecological patterns, such as the species–area relationship, as well as being an interesting pattern in its own right. While there has been resurgence in the study of SADs in the last decade, less focus has been placed on methodology in SAD research, and few attempts have been made to synthesise the vast array of methods which have been employed in SAD model evaluation. As such, our review has two aims. First, we provide a general overview of SADs, including descriptions of the commonly used distributions, plotting methods and issues with evaluating SAD models. Second, we review a number of recent advances in SAD model fitting and comparison. We conclude by providing a list of recommendations for fitting and evaluating SAD models. We argue that it is time for SAD studies to move away from many of the traditional methods available for fitting and evaluating models, such as sole reliance on the visual examination of plots, and embrace statistically rigorous techniques. In particular, we recommend the use of both goodness-of-fit tests and model-comparison analyses because each provides unique information which one can use to draw inferences.

HOW GOOD IS GOODS AND SERVICES TAX

OpenAIRE

Dr. Sreemoyee Guha Roy

2016-01-01

Goods and Services Tax is a broad based and a single comprehensive tax levied on goods and services consumed in an economy. GST is levied at every stage of the production-distribution chain with applicable set offs in respect of the tax remitted at previous stages. It is basically a tax on final consumption. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a value added tax to be implemented in India, the decision on which is pending. GST is the only indirect tax that directly affects all sectors and sect...

Different fits satisfy different needs: linking person-environment fit to employee commitment and performance using self-determination theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Greguras, Gary J; Diefendorff, James M

2009-03-01

Integrating and expanding upon the person-environment fit (PE fit) and the self-determination theory literatures, the authors hypothesized and tested a model in which the satisfaction of the psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence partially mediated the relations between different types of perceived PE fit (i.e., person-organization fit, person-group fit, and job demands-abilities fit) with employee affective organizational commitment and overall job performance. Data from 163 full-time working employees and their supervisors were collected across 3 time periods. Results indicate that different types of PE fit predicted different types of psychological need satisfaction and that psychological need satisfaction predicted affective commitment and performance. Further, person-organization fit and demands-abilities fit also evidenced direct effects on employee affective commitment. These results begin to explicate the processes through which different types of PE fit relate to employee attitudes and behaviors. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

10 CFR 26.189 - Determination of fitness.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Determination of fitness. 26.189 Section 26.189 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS Determining Fitness-for-Duty Policy Violations and Determining Fitness § 26.189 Determination of fitness. (a) A determination of fitness is the process entered...

Rules, culture, and fitness.

Science.gov (United States)

Baum, W M

1995-01-01

Behavior analysis risks intellectual isolation unless it integrates its explanations with evolutionary theory. Rule-governed behavior is an example of a topic that requires an evolutionary perspective for a full understanding. A rule may be defined as a verbal discriminative stimulus produced by the behavior of a speaker under the stimulus control of a long-term contingency between the behavior and fitness. As a discriminative stimulus, the rule strengthens listener behavior that is reinforced in the short run by socially mediated contingencies, but which also enters into the long-term contingency that enhances the listener's fitness. The long-term contingency constitutes the global context for the speaker's giving the rule. When a rule is said to be "internalized," the listener's behavior has switched from short- to long-term control. The fitness-enhancing consequences of long-term contingencies are health, resources, relationships, or reproduction. This view ties rules both to evolutionary theory and to culture. Stating a rule is a cultural practice. The practice strengthens, with short-term reinforcement, behavior that usually enhances fitness in the long run. The practice evolves because of its effect on fitness. The standard definition of a rule as a verbal statement that points to a contingency fails to distinguish between a rule and a bargain ("If you'll do X, then I'll do Y"), which signifies only a single short-term contingency that provides mutual reinforcement for speaker and listener. In contrast, the giving and following of a rule ("Dress warmly; it's cold outside") can be understood only by reference also to a contingency providing long-term enhancement of the listener's fitness or the fitness of the listener's genes. Such a perspective may change the way both behavior analysts and evolutionary biologists think about rule-governed behavior.

The FitTrack Index as fitness indicator

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dina Christina Janse van Rensburg

d Institute for Sports Research, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, South Africa e Institute for Food ... The American College of Sports Medicine's guidelines for health/fitness .... It is important to stress that the focus of this study was not.

Family Activities for Fitness

Science.gov (United States)

Grosse, Susan J.

2009-01-01

This article discusses how families can increase family togetherness and improve physical fitness. The author provides easy ways to implement family friendly activities for improving and maintaining physical health. These activities include: walking, backyard games, and fitness challenges.

The universal Higgs fit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Giardino, P. P.; Kannike, K.; Masina, I.

2014-01-01

We perform a state-of-the-art global fit to all Higgs data. We synthesise them into a 'universal' form, which allows to easily test any desired model. We apply the proposed methodology to extract from data the Higgs branching ratios, production cross sections, couplings and to analyse composite...... Higgs models, models with extra Higgs doublets, supersymmetry, extra particles in the loops, anomalous top couplings, and invisible Higgs decays into Dark Matter. Best fit regions lie around the Standard Model predictions and are well approximated by our 'universal' fit. Latest data exclude the dilaton...... as an alternative to the Higgs, and disfavour fits with negative Yukawa couplings. We derive for the first time the SM Higgs boson mass from the measured rates, rather than from the peak positions, obtaining M-h = 124.4 +/- 1.6 GeV....

Temporal issues in person–organization fit, person–job fit and turnover: The role of leader–member exchange

Science.gov (United States)

Boon, Corine; Biron, Michal

2016-01-01

Person–environment fit has been found to have significant implications for employee attitudes and behaviors. Most research to date has approached person–environment fit as a static phenomenon, and without examining how different types of person–environment fit may affect each other. In particular, little is known about the conditions under which fit with one aspect of the environment influences another aspect, as well as subsequent behavior. To address this gap we examine the role of leader–member exchange in the relationship between two types of person–environment fit over time: person–organization and person–job fit, and subsequent turnover. Using data from two waves (T1 and T2, respectively) and turnover data collected two years later (T3) from a sample of 160 employees working in an elderly care organization in the Netherlands, we find that person–organization fit at T1 is positively associated with person–job fit at T2, but only for employees in high-quality leader–member exchange relationships. Higher needs–supplies fit at T2 is associated with lower turnover at T3. In contrast, among employees in high-quality leader–member exchange relationships, the demands–abilities dimension of person–job fit at T2 is associated with higher turnover at T3. PMID:27904171

Temporal issues in person-organization fit, person-job fit and turnover: The role of leader-member exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Boon, Corine; Biron, Michal

2016-12-01

Person-environment fit has been found to have significant implications for employee attitudes and behaviors. Most research to date has approached person-environment fit as a static phenomenon, and without examining how different types of person-environment fit may affect each other. In particular, little is known about the conditions under which fit with one aspect of the environment influences another aspect, as well as subsequent behavior. To address this gap we examine the role of leader-member exchange in the relationship between two types of person-environment fit over time: person-organization and person-job fit, and subsequent turnover. Using data from two waves (T1 and T2, respectively) and turnover data collected two years later (T3) from a sample of 160 employees working in an elderly care organization in the Netherlands, we find that person-organization fit at T1 is positively associated with person-job fit at T2, but only for employees in high-quality leader-member exchange relationships. Higher needs-supplies fit at T2 is associated with lower turnover at T3. In contrast, among employees in high-quality leader-member exchange relationships, the demands-abilities dimension of person-job fit at T2 is associated with higher turnover at T3.

[ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FITNESS, NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION STUDENTS].

Science.gov (United States)

Godoy Cumillaf, Andrés; Valdés Badilla, Pablo; Fariña Herrera, Custodio; Cárcamo Mora, Francisco; Medina Herrera, Bernice; Meneses Sandoval, Elías; Gedda Muñoz, Relmu; Durán Agüero, Samuel

2015-10-01

several studies demonstrated that regular physical exercise would impact positively on the academic performance of students. to determine the association between physical fitness, nutritional status and academic performance of students of Pedagogy in Physical Education from Temuco, Chile. the sample was selected on a non-probabilistic approach, which included 208 subjects (n = 153 women and n = 55 women). The variables studied were physical fitness (short Abs, long jump with feet together, forward trunk flexion, elbow flexion and extension and "course navette" test), nutritional status (BMI) and academic performance (classified as up and down the academic average). 87.5% of students have a satisfactory fitness and a BMI of 23.8 ± 2.9 kg/m2. The students with the best academic performance were those with the higher proportion of satisfactory physical condition (92.5 %). No association between academic performance and nutritional status was determined, but it was observed between low fitness and a great risk of low academic performance (OR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.0 to 8 1; p academic achievement and physical fitness among students is observed, but no for the nutritional status and the academic performance. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Fitness Club / Nordic Walking

CERN Multimedia

Fitness Club

2011-01-01

Nordic Walking at CERN Enrollments are open for Nordic Walking courses and outings at CERN. Classes will be on Tuesdays as of 20 September, and outings for the more experienced will be on Thursdays as of 15 September. We meet at the CERN Club barracks car park (near entrance A). • 18:00 to 19:00 on 20 & 27 September, as well as 4 & 11 October. Check out our schedule and rates and enroll at: http://cern.ch/club-fitness Hope to see you among us! CERN Fitness Club fitness.club@cern.ch  

Opas CrossFit -harjoitteluun

OpenAIRE

Knaapi, Matti

2014-01-01

CrossFit on laji, joka pyrkii edistämään terveyttä ja kuntoa. CrossFit saleja löytyy mailmalta yli 10 000 kappaletta. CrossFit -harjoittelussa pyritään parantamaan ihmisen kuntoa mahdollisimman laajalla skaalalla kehittämällä mm. voimaa, kestävyyttä, tarkkuutta, tasapainoa ja eri aineenvaihduntareittejä samanaikaisesti. Terveyden ja kunnon kehittämiseen kuuluu kuntoilun lisäksi myös muita osa-alueita. Ruokavalio ja kehonhuolto ovat tärkeitä osa-alueita hyvän kunnon saavuttamiseksi. Ruokav...

GOSSIP: SED fitting code

Science.gov (United States)

Franzetti, Paolo; Scodeggio, Marco

2012-10-01

GOSSIP fits the electro-magnetic emission of an object (the SED, Spectral Energy Distribution) against synthetic models to find the simulated one that best reproduces the observed data. It builds-up the observed SED of an object (or a large sample of objects) combining magnitudes in different bands and eventually a spectrum; then it performs a chi-square minimization fitting procedure versus a set of synthetic models. The fitting results are used to estimate a number of physical parameters like the Star Formation History, absolute magnitudes, stellar mass and their Probability Distribution Functions.

10 CFR 26.406 - Fitness monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fitness monitoring. 26.406 Section 26.406 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS FFD Program for Construction § 26.406 Fitness monitoring. (a...) Licensees and other entities shall implement a fitness monitoring program to deter substance abuse and...

Fitness Club

CERN Multimedia

Fitness Club

2012-01-01

Nordic Walking Classes Sessions of four classes of one hour each are held on Tuesdays. RDV barracks parking at Entrance A, 10 minutes before class time. Session 1 =  11.09 / 18.09 / 25.09 / 02.10, 18:15 - 19:15 Session 2 = 25.09 / 02.10 / 09.10 / 16.10, 12:30 - 13:30 Session 3 = 23.10 / 30.10 / 06.11 / 13.11, 12:30 - 13:30 Session 4 = 20.11 / 27.11 / 04.12 / 11.12, 12:30 - 13:30 Prices 40 CHF per session + 10 CHF club membership 5 CHF/hour pole rental Check out our schedule and enroll at http://cern.ch/club-fitness   Hope to see you among us!  fitness.club@cern.ch In spring 2012 there was a long-awaited progress in CERN Fitness club. We have officially opened a Powerlifting @ CERN, and the number of members of the new section has been increasing since then reaching 70+ people in less than 4 months. Powerlifting is a strength sport, which is simple as 1-2-3 and efficient. The "1-2-3" are the three basic lifts (bench press...

Multimodal determination of Rayleigh dispersion and attenuation curves using the circle fit method

Science.gov (United States)

Verachtert, R.; Lombaert, G.; Degrande, G.

2018-03-01

This paper introduces the circle fit method for the determination of multi-modal Rayleigh dispersion and attenuation curves as part of a Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) experiment. The wave field is transformed to the frequency-wavenumber (fk) domain using a discretized Hankel transform. In a Nyquist plot of the fk-spectrum, displaying the imaginary part against the real part, the Rayleigh wave modes correspond to circles. The experimental Rayleigh dispersion and attenuation curves are derived from the angular sweep of the central angle of these circles. The method can also be applied to the analytical fk-spectrum of the Green's function of a layered half-space in order to compute dispersion and attenuation curves, as an alternative to solving an eigenvalue problem. A MASW experiment is subsequently simulated for a site with a regular velocity profile and a site with a soft layer trapped between two stiffer layers. The performance of the circle fit method to determine the dispersion and attenuation curves is compared with the peak picking method and the half-power bandwidth method. The circle fit method is found to be the most accurate and robust method for the determination of the dispersion curves. When determining attenuation curves, the circle fit method and half-power bandwidth method are accurate if the mode exhibits a sharp peak in the fk-spectrum. Furthermore, simulated and theoretical attenuation curves determined with the circle fit method agree very well. A similar correspondence is not obtained when using the half-power bandwidth method. Finally, the circle fit method is applied to measurement data obtained for a MASW experiment at a site in Heverlee, Belgium. In order to validate the soil profile obtained from the inversion procedure, force-velocity transfer functions were computed and found in good correspondence with the experimental transfer functions, especially in the frequency range between 5 and 80 Hz.

Knowledge in Action: Fitness Lesson Segments That Teach Health-Related Fitness in Elementary Physical Education

Science.gov (United States)

Hodges, Michael G.; Kulinna, Pamela Hodges; van der Mars, Hans; Lee, Chong

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine students' health-related fitness knowledge (HRFK) and physical activity levels after the implementation of a series of fitness lessons segments called Knowledge in Action (KIA). KIA aims to teach health-related fitness knowledge (HRFK) during short episodes of the physical education lesson. Teacher…

Fit-for-purpose wastewater treatment: Testing to implementation of decision support tool (II).

Science.gov (United States)

Chhipi-Shrestha, Gyan; Hewage, Kasun; Sadiq, Rehan

2017-12-31

This paper is the second in a series of two papers. In Paper I, a decision support tool (DST), FitWater, was developed for evaluating the potential of wastewater treatment (WWT) trains for various water reuse applications. In the present paper, the proposed DST has been tested and implemented. FitWater has been tested with several existing WWT plants in Canada and the USA, demonstrating FitWater's effectiveness in estimating life cycle cost (LCC), health risk, and energy use. FitWater has also been implemented in a newly planned neighbourhood in the Okanagan Valley (BC, Canada) by developing 12 alternative WWT trains for water reuse in lawn and public parks irrigation. The results show that FitWater can effectively rank WWT train alternatives based on LCC, health risk, amount of reclaimed water, energy use, and carbon emissions. Moreover, functions have been developed for the variation of unit annualized LCC and energy intensity per unit log removal of microorganisms in different treatment technologies with varying plant capacities. The functions have power relations, showing the economies of scale. FitWater can be applied to identify a cost-effective, risk-acceptable, and energy efficient wastewater treatment train with a plant capacity of 500m 3 /day or more. Furthermore, FitWater can be used to assess potential economic impacts of developing microbiologically stringent effluent standards. The capability of FitWater can be enhanced by including physio-chemical quality of wastewater, additional treatment technologies, and carbon emissions from wastewater decomposition processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A time-minimizing hybrid method for fitting complex Moessbauer spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steiner, K.J.

2000-07-01

The process of fitting complex Moessbauer-spectra is known to be time-consuming. The fitting process involves a mathematical model for the combined hyperfine interaction which can be solved by an iteration method only. The iteration method is very sensitive to its input-parameters. In other words, with arbitrary input-parameters it is most unlikely that the iteration method will converge. Up to now a scientist has to spent her/his time to guess appropriate input parameters for the iteration process. The idea is to replace the guessing phase by a genetic algorithm. The genetic algorithm starts with an initial population of arbitrary input parameters. Each parameter set is called an individual. The first step is to evaluate the fitness of all individuals. Afterwards the current population is recombined to form a new population. The process of recombination involves the successive application of genetic operators which are selection, crossover, and mutation. These operators mimic the process of natural evolution, i.e. the concept of the survival of the fittest. Even though there is no formal proof that the genetic algorithm will eventually converge, there is an excellent chance that there will be a population with very good individuals after some generations. The hybrid method presented in the following combines a very modern version of a genetic algorithm with a conventional least-square routine solving the combined interaction Hamiltonian i.e. providing a physical solution with the original Moessbauer parameters by a minimum of input. (author)

[Person-organization fit and work ability].

Science.gov (United States)

Merecz, Dorota; Andysz, Aleksandra

2011-01-01

Person-environment issue has long been in focus of researchers who explore the area of human labor. It is known that the level of fit is a predictor of many phenomena related to health and attitude to work. The aim of this study was to explore the association between the level of person- organization fit (P-O fit) and work ability, including indicators of somatic and mental health. Research was conducted on a representative sample of 600 Polish men and women at working age. The Person-Organization Fit Questionnaire was used to assess three dimensions of P-O fit (supplementary fit, complementary fit and identification with organization); mental health status was measured by GHQ-28; the number of diagnosed diseases was taken as an index of somatic health; work ability, ability to physical and mental efforts were measured by three items from the Work Ability Index. A significant relationship between P-O fit level and work ability was found. In men, work ability predictors were: age, supplementary fit and mental health status, which explained 25% of the variance in work ability. In women, work ability predictors were: the number of diagnosed somatic diseases, supplementary fit, age and complementary fit, which explained 27% of the variance in work ability. Some gender-related differences in the predictive value of variables under the study were also found. The results of this study indicate the importance of P-O fit in shaping the sense of work ability, a recognized predictor of workers' occupational activity and the frequency of taking sick leave in subsequent years. Therefore, this result may be a useful argument to motivate employers to employ workers adequately to their abilities and preferences.

14 CFR 31.43 - Fitting factor.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fitting factor. 31.43 Section 31.43... STANDARDS: MANNED FREE BALLOONS Design Construction § 31.43 Fitting factor. (a) A fitting factor of at least... structure. This factor applies to all parts of the fitting, the means of attachment, and the bearing on the...

The Obesity Paradox and Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul A. McAuley

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Cardiorespiratory fitness as an explanation for the obesity paradox warrants further examination. We evaluated independent and joint associations of cardiorespiratory fitness and adiposity with all-cause mortality in 811 middle-aged (age, 53.3±7.2 years male never smokers without documented cardiopulmonary disease or diabetes from the Veterans Exercise Testing Study (VETS. Cardiorespiratory fitness was quantified in metabolic equivalents (METs using final treadmill speed and grade achieved on a maximal exercise test. Subjects were grouped for analysis by METs: unfit (lowest third and fit (upper two-thirds; and by body mass index (kg/m2: nonobese (18.5−29.9 and obese (≥30.0. Associations of baseline fitness and adiposity measures with all-cause mortality were determined by Cox proportional hazards analysis adjusted for age, ethnicity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, family history of coronary artery disease, and cardiovascular medication use. In multivariate analysis, mortality risk for obese/fit men did not differ significantly from the nonobese/fit reference group. However, compared to the reference group, nonobese and obese unfit men were 2.2 (=0.01 and 1.9 (=0.03 times more likely to die, respectively. Cardiorespiratory fitness altered the obesity paradox such that mortality risk was lower for both obese and nonobese men who were fit.

Mr-Moose: An advanced SED-fitting tool for heterogeneous multi-wavelength datasets

Science.gov (United States)

Drouart, G.; Falkendal, T.

2018-04-01

We present the public release of Mr-Moose, a fitting procedure that is able to perform multi-wavelength and multi-object spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting in a Bayesian framework. This procedure is able to handle a large variety of cases, from an isolated source to blended multi-component sources from an heterogeneous dataset (i.e. a range of observation sensitivities and spectral/spatial resolutions). Furthermore, Mr-Moose handles upper-limits during the fitting process in a continuous way allowing models to be gradually less probable as upper limits are approached. The aim is to propose a simple-to-use, yet highly-versatile fitting tool fro handling increasing source complexity when combining multi-wavelength datasets with fully customisable filter/model databases. The complete control of the user is one advantage, which avoids the traditional problems related to the "black box" effect, where parameter or model tunings are impossible and can lead to overfitting and/or over-interpretation of the results. Also, while a basic knowledge of Python and statistics is required, the code aims to be sufficiently user-friendly for non-experts. We demonstrate the procedure on three cases: two artificially-generated datasets and a previous result from the literature. In particular, the most complex case (inspired by a real source, combining Herschel, ALMA and VLA data) in the context of extragalactic SED fitting, makes Mr-Moose a particularly-attractive SED fitting tool when dealing with partially blended sources, without the need for data deconvolution.

Is High Intensity Functional Training (HIFT)/CrossFit® Safe for Military Fitness Training?

Science.gov (United States)

Poston, Walker S.C.; Haddock, Christopher K.; Heinrich, Katie M.; Jahnke, Sara A.; Jitnarin, Nattinee; Batchelor, David B.

2016-01-01

High-intensity functional training (HIFT) is a promising fitness paradigm that gained popularity among military populations. Rather than biasing workouts toward maximizing fitness domains such as aerobic endurance, HIFT workouts are designed to promote general physical preparedness. HIFT programs have proliferated due to concerns about the relevance of traditional physical training (PT), which historically focused on aerobic condition via running. Other concerns about traditional PT include: 1) the relevance of service fitness tests given current combat demands; 2) the perception that military PT is geared toward passing service fitness tests; and 3) that training for combat requires more than just aerobic endurance. Despite its’ popularity in the military, concerns have been raised about HIFT’s injury potential, leading to some approaches being labeled as “extreme conditioning programs” by several military and civilian experts. Given HIFT programs’ popularity in the military and concerns about injury, a review of data on HIFT injury potential is needed to inform military policy. The purpose of this review is to: 1) provide an overview of scientific methods used to appropriately compare injury rates among fitness activities; and 2) evaluate scientific data regarding HIFT injury risk compared to traditional military PT and other accepted fitness activities PMID:27391615

Kung fu training improves physical fitness measures in overweight/obese adolescents: the "martial fitness" study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsang, Tracey W; Kohn, Michael R; Chow, Chin Moi; Fiatarone Singh, Maria Antoinette

2010-01-01

Aim. To examine the efficacy of a six-month Kung Fu (KF) program on physical fitness in overweight/obese adolescents. Methods. Subjects were randomly assigned to the KF or sham exercise (Tai Chi, TC) control group. Physical measurements in cardiovascular fitness and muscle fitness occurred at baseline and after 6 months of training thrice weekly. Results. Twenty subjects were recruited. One subject was lost to follow-up, although overall compliance to the training sessions was 46.7 +/- 27.8%. At follow-up, the cohort improved in absolute upper (P = .002) and lower (P = .04) body strength, and upper body muscle endurance (P = .02), without group differences. KF training resulted in significantly greater improvements in submaximal cardiovascular fitness (P = .03), lower body muscle endurance (P = .28; significant 95% CI: 0.37-2.49), and upper body muscle velocity (P = .03) relative to TC training. Conclusions. This short-term KF program improved submaximal cardiovascular fitness, lower body muscle endurance, and muscle velocity, in overweight/obese adolescents with very low baseline fitness.